The Girl Who Came to Stay
by buriednurbckyrd
Summary: Greg's best friend from college gets a job at the lab, but needs a place to stay. Nick/Greg
1. Chapter 1

Nick came home to the smell of food cooking. He hung up his coat and dropped his keys in the bowl by the door and walked towards the kitchen. A tall, slim man stood at the stove frowning at a pot.

"Greg," Nick wrapped his arms around the other man. "Why are you cooking?" He started stirring the contents of the pot, making irritated noises.

"I thought it would be nice to make you dinner." He replied, absentmindedly shaking the salt and pepper over the stove. Nick's suspicion started to rise.

"What exactly are you trying to make?" Whatever was in the pot was starting to congeal and smell foul.

"I don't even know at this point." Greg sighed and threw the pot into the sink. He turned and kissed Nick, his arms wrapping around his neck. Nick stepped back and smirked at the younger man.

"You don't cook." He said. "You hardly _microwave_." He pulled out a chair from the small kitchen table and sat down. "What did you do, Greg?" The lab tech crossed his arms over his chest and scowled.

"What do you mean? I can't do something nice for you? Maybe I'm trying to practice my domestic skills, you could be a little more supportive you know." Nick raised an eyebrow and continued to stare at the man shifting uncomfortably across the room.

"Okay then, I'm sorry." He stood up and kissed Greg's cheek before picking up the phone. "Pizza or Chinese?" Greg followed Nick into the living room.

"That's it? No third degree? You're just _sorry_?" Nick smiled to inwardly, keeping his face neutral, and started to sort through the take-out menus.

"Hey, you said it yourself, I should support your new found domestic ambition. But, just for the record, I didn't start dating you because you could make meatloaf just like Mom used to." Greg bit his lip and ran his hand through his hair. "Well? Do you want to order pizza or Chinese?"

Nick was dying to interrogate Greg, but he knew it would just cause a fight. So instead, he let him pick at his Lo Mein and contemplate whatever he was hiding. Nick kept talking about his day at work and other nonsense, while The Discovery Channel droned on in the background.

"Greg? Anything interesting happen in the lab today?" Nick bit into his egg roll and turned to face him.

"Not really… I had to bring a few things to Hodges and of course had to endure _that_." He paused and pushed his barely touched food away. "Other than that, it was a pretty standard day." Nick stood up put the leftovers in the fridge.

"Are you sure? You really seem like you have something on your mind. Anything you want to talk about?" He turned to look at Greg and saw his gaze move to the floor.

"Actually I'm tired, I think I'll just go to bed." Nick sighed quietly as Greg walked past him towards the bedroom.

Nick sat in the living room channel surfing for about two hours before he gave up and got himself ready for bed. While brushing his teeth he caught the strains of some music coming from the bedroom. He frowned and spat the water into the sink. The night so far had only confused the Texan. Greg had started out looking like he was trying to soften him up, and quickly switched to sullen and distant. When he stepped into the room, Greg was sitting crossed legged on the bed with photographs spread out over the blankets. Something that sounded like Nirvana was softly playing on the radio.

"Greg?" He looked up and smiled.

"Hey. Sorry about the pictures, I couldn't sleep." Nick sat down on the bed.

"You wanna tell me what's going on?"

"I'm a little nostalgic for college tonight I guess. I heard from my best friend last week and it made me realize how much I missed her." He handed Nick a photo. "This is my favorite picture of us, me and Natalie." Greg was wearing a tuxedo tee shirt standing next to a petite girl dressed in an outfit reminiscent of Madonna from the 1980's.

"Is that a tutu?" Greg laughed.

"Yeah. We tried to go to a formal but they wouldn't let us in. They said you couldn't wear tee shirts in the dance. We ended up going to McDonald's for dinner and then danced to the Dirty Dancing soundtrack in the parking lot." He shrugged. "We were the same major and met up in class one day. I think she was the first person that got me." Greg started to gather the other photos.

"Is she alright? You still seem upset about something." Nick started to worry that the colorful girl in the picture was in trouble. "Did she call with bad news?" Greg shook his head and smiled.

"Actually, she called with some great news. She got a job at the lab. She's moving to Las Vegas."

"Well then what the hell is wrong?" Nick grabbed his arm and turned Greg to look at him.

"Okay, I have something to tell you, and I'm sure you're not going to be happy about it. Please just don't overreact." Nick sighed.

"Just spit it out."

"Well, her plane gets in tomorrow."

"What's so bad about that?"

"And… I kind of told her she could stay here." Greg's voice got smaller as he finished the sentence.

"What?"

"Now before you jump on my case just hear me out." Greg stood up and started to pace, his fingers running nervously through his hair. "I know I should have talked to you before I told her she could stay here, but I was just so excited that she was coming here I couldn't help myself. I mean, it's a pretty great coincidence that she's even moving to Las Vegas, _and_ she'll be working in the lab and I just miss her so much that I had to say yes. And then she sounded so happy because she had been having such a hard time trying to find an apartment and almost had to call and tell them that she couldn't take the job…" He paused and sat back down. "She wanted to surprise me." Nick sat in silence for a few moments, trying to process Greg's speech.

"Greg," he finally said. "I'm not mad. I'll admit that I'm pretty annoyed that you didn't tell me sooner that we're going to have a house guest. But it's not that big of a deal I guess. Just promise that if you invite anyone else in the future you'll give me at least a week in advance?" Greg visibly relaxed.

"I swear." His face broke out into a grin and he threw his arms around Nick. "Her plane gets in at ten."

_Okay I have no idea exactly how this story is going to develop. I have a few ideas, but nothing solid. I need reviews to decide if it's worth continuing or not…_


	2. Chapter 2

The airport was surprising mellow the next morning. Nick took a seat near the baggage claim and tried to get Greg to do the same, but the younger man wasn't even trying to contain his excitement. It was quarter after ten, and Natalie's plane had landed only moments earlier.

"You're going to love her, I know it." Greg was standing on his tip toes looking for her. "I hope I can spot her, if she's anything like I remember, her hair is constantly changing, but I could never forget that face."

"Did you pass your ever changing hair to her, or vice versa?" Nick bit into a Milky Way purchased from a vending machine. Greg laughed and finally sat down.

"It's a habit we kind of developed together." His foot tapped with excitement. "She was way more of a free spirit that I was when we met. My mom was really protective of me, but her family was a pretty go with the flow group of people."

"Hippies?" Nick asked, imagining the Madonna look-a-like from the picture as a flower child.

"Nah, they were just really relaxed with rules, really liberal." Nick thought of Greg's mother. She was as sweet as could be, but tended to fuss over her only son. "What did your mom think of her?"

"Mom thought she was nuts. The first time I brought her home for a visit Nat was going through her 'beatnik' phase. Dressed all in black and wore sunglasses inside." He laughed at the memory. "She came around in the end. After awhile I think she hoped that Natalie would be her daughter in law. They used to go shopping when we would visit."

"I hope your mom doesn't resent that you ended up with a frat boy from Texas." Greg laughed and kissed Nick's forehead.

"My mom wasn't crazy about the idea of me being with a guy at first, but she got over it because I'm her baby boy. And she thinks you are a darling. Her words, not mine." Greg yelped and jumped up. "Those people must have come off a plane, they're headed towards us!" A large group of passengers made their way down the long corridor towards the baggage claim.

"Do you see her?" Nick stood up rested his hand on Greg's shoulder, trying to spot the face from the photograph.

"Not yet, but she's not very tall… Oh! Maybe that's her! Natalie!" A small woman wearing a denim jacket rushed to the front of the crowd, her arms thrown out in front of her as she ran towards the men.

"Greg!" She cried out as the two collided in a hug.

"I missed you so freakin' much!"

"I missed you too!"

"How was your flight?"

"Great! I'm starving though." Greg stepped back from her, grinning ear to ear.

"We'll take you out for lunch before we go to the apartment." He pulled her over to Nick, his arm thrown around her shoulders. "Nat, this is Nick. Nick, this is Nat." Nick extended his hand.

"Nice to meet you." He offered her a warm smile.

"Ooh a southern gentleman." She accepted his hand. "Greg's told me all about you."

"All good I hope."

"Hey if you weren't dating my best friend and were into chicks, I'd make a pass at you." She replied, winking at him. Nick felt his cheeks turn pink.

"Well then, hmm…" Greg laughed and swatted at Natalie.

"He embarrasses easily so be gentle." He reached for Nick's hand and kissed his boyfriend quickly on the lips. "Come on, let's feed the poor girl."

A short while later the three were sitting in a nearby Denny's waiting to place their orders. Nick surveyed Natalie over his coffee while she chatted about her flight. She was small in build, with a peaches and cream complexion. Soft auburn waves fell down around her shoulders and her eyes were a piercing gray. From a distance she might have been mistaken for an adolescent in her current wardrobe. But the jean jacket and baggy khaki pants hid the curvy body of a woman. Nick suspected there would be a few guys at the lab sniffing around. His thoughts were interrupted when Natalie's hand rested on his arm.

"I want to thank you again, for letting me stay." Nick took another quick sip from his coffee.

"No problem, we have plenty of room, the spare bedroom is always empty." The conversation lulled as a waitress walked over to take their orders.

"You still have that crazy college appetite I see." Greg laughed.

"Hey, why only have eggs when the pancakes are so easy to order?"

"I don't see where you're gonna pack it away." Nick said, his eyes looking over the table at her flat abdomen.

"Trust me, I'll find room." She and Greg jumped. "Woah, I hope that's a phone going off by my thigh." Greg quickly pulled his phone out of his pocket and cursed at the caller ID.

"It's Grissom…" he rolled his eyes and flicked it open. "Sanders." He nodded and grimaced at the voice on his phone. "Alright, I'll be in as soon as I can." He closed his phone and dropped his head to the table with a loud thud. "The lab is backed up beyond belief, they need me to go in for a few hours to help get caught up." He looked up at Natalie. "I'm sorry, but they're really slammed and I just gotta go." She cupped his face in her hands and kissed his forehead.

"It's okay Greggo, I'm a big girl I can deal." She looked over at Nick. "Besides, me and Tex can get to know each other." She stood up so Greg could slide out of the booth. "We'll bring your burger home in a doggy bag." He smiled and hugged her before he leaned over to kiss Nick before leaving.

"Careful Nick, that girl is a major flirt, don't let her steal you away from me." He called over his shoulder.

"Don't worry babe, I don't plan on dragging you off for an Elvis wedding." Nick returned the smile she flashed at him.

"Good I was thinking one of those classy deals with the guy in a zoot suit." He was rewarded with a laugh.

"I think we're going to get along just fine, Tex." She sat back as their food was delivered. "Can we get the last plate put in a to-go box? Thanks." She began spreading the melting butter over her pancakes. "So tell me about the team, I don't know much about any of the other people I'll be working with."

Nick and Natalie spent the next hour and a half talking and laughing. By the time they had paid for their meals and got into the car, Nick felt as if he had known her all his life. He could see how Greg would have formed a tight friendship with her. She had easy smiles and a wicked sense of humor, but the biggest thing he realized is that she was _sweet_. Underneath the flirting and the quick wit, she had a good heart. He smiled to himself. He could have been describing Greg.

"Hey, why don't we go over to the lab," She said, pulling her seatbelt over her chest. "I know I don't officially start for three days, but it would be nice to meet everyone and maybe I could step in and help."

"I didn't even think to ask, what are you here to do?"

"Well I specialized in DNA, but I'm qualified to work in Trace as well. So I guess I'm pretty interchangeable. I've also done some work in AV, but in all honesty, I could do without it."

"Wow, sounds like you give Greg a run for the nerd-crown."

"And I got the pocket protector to prove it." The two laughed as the vehicle came to a stop. As they were walking into the building they ran into Catherine.

"Hey, Cath, this is Natalie the new lab tech." Catherine shifted the files she was carrying into her other arm.

"Nice to meet you." She held out her hand for Natalie to shake.

"Likewise."

"I have to apologize for running off in a hurry but I am so late." The other woman took off outside leaving Nick and Natalie alone in the hall.

"She must really be in a hurry, she's usually really friendly."

"I'm not offended."

The lab was quiet as they walked through the halls. They found Warrick and Sara in the break room and as Nick had predicted, Natalie's figure got the once over from the male CSI. The four sat making introductions and talking, the two women seeming to bond instantly to Nick's surprise. Sara didn't usually take to people, but the two were already making plans to have coffee in the future. None of them noticed Grissom had walked in until he cleared his throat.

"Oh! Grissom, this is Natalie. The new lab tech? She just came in today."

"Greg's friend, he told me you were here when he came in earlier." She stood and offered her hand and a smile.

"I thought I could come in a few days early to meet everyone, and since Greg said the lab was backed up, maybe I could offer some help." Grissom's eyes looked her up and down, his expression unreadable.

"Welcome to Las Vegas." He took her hand and his expression softened. "I think you'll be a good addition to the lab, and I'm sure the other technicians will be more than willing to help you adjust." Nick heard the trace of humor in his voice, sure that the older man had noticed Natalie's curves and knew that she would get at least a few come ons. "However, Greg has been able to catch us back up, so you can relax and get settled in before you have to worry about work. Although I can't say that for the rest of my team." Warrick and Sara quickly got up and left the room.

"Is Greg going to be ready to leave any time soon, or should I just take Natalie back to the apartment?"

"I think I could relieve Greg of his duties for the rest of the day. He's been shooting daggers at me since I called him in." He winked at Natalie before leaving the room.

"What a neat guy." Nick turned and looked at her.

"What do you mean, neat?" He asked.

"I dunno, he's just got this aura around him. He's professional, but he understands his team on a personal level. He's like the Papa of the lab." She paused and looked deep in thought for a moment. "Except with Sara. There's nothing fatherly about that relationship." Nick choked on his spit and sputtered.

"How did you get all that?"

"It's a woman thing," She replied. "I can just tell, there's something there." She fluttered her eyelashes at Nick. "Just like you and my dear Greg. If you didn't know that you two had a thing, you would know after just a few minutes being around you guys."

As Nick, Greg, and Natalie left the lab, the Texan got the feeling that things would soon get interesting with the new girl in the lab.

_HAHA! There you go! I'm starting to get some ideas about how to continue this, I have a planned romance (hehe) and some nice dishy DRAMA. Thanks to those that have left reviews, I hope you leave me more!_

_I'll try to update soon _


	3. Chapter 3

Natalie had been at the lab for a week, and a housemate for a bit longer. She could hold her own professionally, even going toe to toe with Hodges. Nick couldn't remember any one ending a conversation with the lab rat and not wanting to throttle him, but somehow she seemed to think that he was 'neat'.

"Seriously, neat? _Neat_?" Greg laughed as he peeled off his shirt before sitting down on the bed. "She said the same thing about Grissom, and while I agree with her that he's a cool guy, I have never heard anyone use such a word to describe Hodges."

"Nat just hasn't met a person she doesn't like." Greg curled up to Nick wrapping his arms around the Texan. "She's just friendly like that." He started to move his fingers suggestively over Nick's torso.

"Well friendly or not, it was still weird. 'Neat' just isn't a word I would associate with that guy."

"It's just an adjective, Nicky. Just a little word that she uses a lot." His hands started to move south, getting the other man's attention. "Let's start talking about some verbs now."

Greg stood at the kitchen counter the next day sipping his coffee waiting for Natalie so they could leave for work.

"Come on Nat we're going to be late!"

"I know, sorry!" He heard a loud thud and several curses after her reply.

"You alright?"

"Fine! Just banged my foot against the bed!" The last word was louder than necessary as she stepped out of the guest room. "Whoops, sorry, don't need to shout any more I guess." Greg smiled, her socks didn't match and her hair was piled on top of her head in a messy bun, she was just as he remembered her.

"Get your damn shoes on and let's get going, we needed to leave ten minutes ago." She quickly pulled on her Converse and muttered something about tying them in the car as she grabbed a granola bar from the cupboard.

"So now that your first official week is wrapping up, what do you think?" She crunched through a few bites of granola before answering.

"I like it. Every thing is so well organized. The last place I worked at was a mess. And everyone's super helpful. And Grissom, I just adore that man." Greg laughed.

"I hope you adore him from a distance. That's another woman's territory." He saw her roll her eyes.

"Duh, I'm not blind." She stuffed the rest of the bar into her mouth, swallowing it quickly. "I would never try to step into a relationship, I'm no home wrecker. Gris is kind of like a favorite uncle or something." Greg laughed.

"Is there someone you _do_ have you eye on?"

"Maybe…" she flashed him a secretive smile.

"Aha! Tell me tell me tell me!"

"Not yet. I'm not even sure if I do like this person yet. And if I do, they're going to be a challenge."

"It _is_ Grissom!"

"NO! Didn't I just say I'm not a home wrecker?"

"Then why won't you tell me?" Greg stuck his bottom lip out in a pout, making Natalie giggle. She rested her head on his shoulder.

"When I figure it out, you'll be the first person I tell. Now stop with the puppy dog eyes and pay attention to the road."

"It's a chick isn't it? That's why you won't tell me."

"Greg, if I were batting for the other team, don't you think I would have told you already? The _man _I'm thinking about is one hundred percent MALE. Now please, just let it go, alright?"

"Fine. But don't think I won't figure it out." He parked the car and killed the engine. Natalie shot him a smile over her shoulder as she got out and started for the building.

"Where's Nat, G?" Nick collapsed gratefully onto the couch. Greg sat next to the Texan, handing him a beer.

"I don't know, she just said that she would get a ride later. Practically threw me out of the lab." Nick took a swallow of the cold beverage and put his arm around Greg.

"So we're alone?"

"I guess. I just don't get why she's hiding something from me. She usually tells me more than I want to know, and now I'm being shut out? I just don't get it!" Nick laughed and turned to throw the empty can into the sink.

"Greg, stop obsessing over it. I'm sure you will be the first to know about her love life, but just keep in mind she's a big girl. She's entitled to her secrets."

"You're supposed to be mad with me, not spew all that mature bull shit." Nick laughed and leaned in to kiss Greg.

"I agree, what was I thinking? Let's take it out on each other." Greg gasped as the older man sank his teeth into his shoulder. "Still mad?" Nick whispered into the lab tech's ear, delighting in the lusty shiver that worked through Greg's body.

"About what?" The two men laughed and tore at each other, leaving a trail of clothing from the couch ending at the bedroom down the hall.

Awhile later, the two lay in the other's arms in a post sex haze. Greg pressed his lips to Nick's chest, the Texan's heart still racing.

"I love you." He whispered. Nick's arms wrapped tighter around Greg, and he kissed his forehead.

"I love you too, so much." He murmured back, his voice full of emotion. "You make the long days seem worth it." A low chuckle bubbled in Greg's throat.

"I love you because you already put up with me, and then you let my crazy friend move in."

"She's only a little crazy, and she does the dishes." Nick gave Greg a meaningful look.

"Hey! I do the dishes." He pouted and reached for his boxers.

"You only do them when we're forced to eat frozen pizza over a sink full of every dish we own. And then I have to threaten you with no sex."

"Well they still get done." He still had a pout on his face as he pulled up his underwear. "It wouldn't be an issue if you just got a dishwasher."

"Hey! It also wouldn't be an issue if you just washed what you use!"

"I don't have to! Natalie does them now!" The two men looked at each other and started laughing. Nick pulled Greg into a hug, and kissed his cheek tenderly.

"I also love you because you're so sexy when you argue."

"Oh stop, if you want a round two you better feed me first." They were both startled when the front door opened and slammed loudly. "Good! Now I can grill her again!" Greg started for the door when Nick grabbed his boxers.

"Don't hassle her, she just got home."

"I'm the best friend, I'm allowed to hassle at any time, day or night." He pulled away and opened the door.

"I'll be out in a minute." Nick told him as he hurried out of the room. Greg found Natalie in the kitchen humming absentmindedly as she poured over a menu for a nearby pizza shop. She looked up and smiled, pushing the menu towards him.

"Hey, I just got back and I'm starving. You and Nick can pick, I can't make up my mind." She pulled a Pepsi out of the fridge and popped the can open. "My treat, just order a big greasy pizza with whatever you guys want on it." Something in the way she spoke put Greg on alert. He opened his mouth to say something when Nick walked into the room.

"Nat, you're home!" He pulled the small woman into a bone crushing hug, and shot a warning glance at Greg.

"Well, that's a nice warm welcome." Natalie squeezed the words out before gently pulling away from the Texan. "What do you want on the pizza?" She shot both men a smile and picked up the phone.

A few hours later, Greg emerged from his and Nick's bedroom in search of the cold leftovers of their dinner. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and yawned, briefly looking over at the couch where Natalie had fallen asleep soon after devouring three large slices of pizza. He shrugged off the surprise that she wasn't there and started eating what he considered the perfect breakfast. Nick soon ventured out, having woken up when Greg left their room. He opened the fridge, pulled out the milk, and proceeded to drink directly from the carton.

"Isn't today Natalie's day off?" He asked, replacing the milk and shutting the door.

"Yeah, I think so."

"Then why is she in the shower? I figured after a first week as busy as she had, she'd still be passed out."

"She's in the shower? I figured she crawled into her bed or something."

"Well if she's not in there, then we have a problem." Nick took a leftover slice and took a large bite. "Because I went to use the facilities and the door is locked. And I distinctly heard the shower going." The both turned and saw Natalie, dripping wet, wrapped in a towel walk towards her bedroom.

"Oh! Hey guys, I thought you'd all still be asleep."

"What are you doing up? I thought you would be taking it easy your first day off. You know, sleep in, sit around watching bad T.V. in your PJ's?" Natalie laughed and walked into her bedroom.

"Nope, got some stuff I need to get done today." Her voice traveled out into the kitchen. "Plus Sarah had some time today and asked if I wanted to get some coffee." She poked her head out of the door. "And no offense, but I could use some time with someone of the female variety." She winked at them playfully and shut the door.

"I don't believe it!" Greg hissed at Nick. "She's gonna have girl talk with Sarah, who doesn't even like girl talk, and spill who she likes to _her_." He crossed his arms over his chest and grimaced. "She doesn't even know her that well either." Nick resisted the grin that threatened to break out over his face, and pushed the laughter down.

"Sweetie, I know Natalie is your best friend, but she's allowed to have other friends. And we do lack the proper equipment to participate in girl talk." He pulled Greg into his arms and kissed him softly. "I doubt she'll tell someone anything that you don't already know." Natalie burst out of her room wearing a bright sundress, her damp hair falling around her shoulders.

"Well roomies, I am off. I suppose I'll see you when you get out of work." She brushed her lips over Greg's cheek and stopped to look at Nick. "I don't know, are we at that point where I can put my lips on you?" Nick laughed and grabbed her, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Aw, Nicky, what a Hallmark moment." She wiped away a fake tear and saluted them before leaving the apartment.

"You're taking her side." Greg sniffed, and sauntered off to the bedroom to get dressed. Nick sighed, and pressed the heel of his hand against his eye.

"It's going to be a long day."

_Okay! Here's chapter three! Sorry it took so long, I messed up my knee the meds kept me pretty groggy for a while, and then I just had writer's block. EEK I hope to have the next chapter soon, crosses fingers because I want to get into some romance for Nat, and some drama to mix things up a bit. Please read and review, they make the writing come faster! hinthint_


	4. Chapter 4

Natalie had been living with the two men for two months before Nick experienced one of her bad day moods. So far, she was the perfect house guest; she kept the apartment clean, contributed to rent and bills, and was more than willing to let Nick and Greg to have a private night alone. The Texan had started to believe that besides being tidy, she also never seemed to be in a dark mood, her disposition was sunny and optimistic. And then he walked into the DNA lab after a particularly nasty crime scene.

"Nat, do you have any of the results I asked for?" He regretted the words as soon as they were out of his mouth. The newest lab tech lifted her head and he swore he saw actual flames shoot from her eyes.

"Are you kidding me?" Her voice was low, but he heard the danger in it. "I am up to my scalp in piss, blood, and various other excretions from that disaster of a murder scene." She waved her hand, gesturing behind her to a large pile of samples. "I am backed up beyond belief, I've been working for six hours straight without a break, I haven't eaten for nearly ten, and Greg is still at that conference at that stupid hotel. So no, Nick, I don't have any of the results that you asked for. I don't know when I'll have them, so please don't bother me again. I will be sure to page you when I have anything for you." She jotted something violently down on a pad of paper and slammed the pen aside before returning her gaze into the telescope. Nick quietly left the room, feeling oddly like he had been scolded and then placed in time out. He walked down to the break room in a state of shock. She hadn't raised her voice at all, but the unbridled hostility had radiated from her.

"Hey Nick, you going in to eat your lunch? I'll join you." Sara brushed past him and opened the fridge, pulling out her soup and salad. "What's with you? You look like someone took your favorite toy."

"Natalie just about lit me on fire with her eyes." The other CSI pulled her soup out of the microwave and sat down to start eating.

"Oh, that. Don't take it personally, okay? She's been short with everyone today. And between you and me, she has some guy issues rippling under the surface." Nick dug into his leftover spaghetti.

"Wait, do you know something? About the guy issues?" Sara took a large bite of her salad, and looked guilty.

"Nick, I don't know why I bonded with this girl. Maybe it's because she is one of the easiest people in the world to talk to, I really couldn't tell you. I know her and Greg have been having arguments because he thinks she's hiding something from him…" She paused and gulped down some water. "I'll tell you this much. She is interested in someone. And the only reason I know who it is is because I saw the two of them. She hasn't told me anything that Greg doesn't know, I swear."

"I'm not interrogating you. I mean, we've all been fine living together, I think Greg's accepted that she'll tell him when she's ready."

"I don't want Greg to think that she's replaced him or something. We just get along really well."

"No, don't worry about that. I won't say anything about this." He sat back and stretched. "We've had days like this before and she's still been her normal cheery self. It was just so weird to see her so irritated, it was like a different person." Sara reached out and touched his hand, surprising Nick.

"Like I said, don't take it personal. She's working solo in the lab, and there's some stuff 'cooking up in her noggin'." She took another sip of water. "Those would be her words, not mine."

"Yeah I kind of figured."

Back at the apartment, Nick stretched out on the couch and flipped through the channels, waiting for Greg or Natalie to come home. He had called and spoken to his very bored boyfriend and was informed that he would be sent home in an urn after the tedium of the conference killed him. He settled on some stand up on Comedy Central and polished off a grilled cheese sandwich.

About an hour and a half later, his eyes were heavy and he was slipping into sleep when a sharp knock roused him from his relaxation. He grumbled as he forced himself up from the comfort of the sofa and opened the door.

"Oh thank goodness, I thought for a minute neither of you was home." Natalie stood in the doorway holding a gift box and a few bags in her arms. "I didn't even think about it when I was coming up the stairs." She shifted nervously and offered a friendly smile. "Um, the box is for you, if you want to relieve me of it." Nick snapped from his reverie and took the surprisingly hefty little box.

"Sorry I was nearly asleep on the couch."

"Oh jeez, I'm sorry Nicky." She set the bags down and took the box back, setting it on the coffee table. "I'm also sorry about the demonic woman I turned into earlier." She looked so distressed that he just wrapped his arms around her and squeezed.

"Its fine, we're cool." He pulled away and sat down, patting the cushion next to him. "Sit down, relax, and let me have my present." She laughed and sat, leaning forward to open the box herself.

"This is just my way of apologizing, and I hope you remember that even when I turn into Linda Blair, I promise it won't last." She reached in and pulled out a round glass fish bowl. A layer of white pebbles covered the bottom, while a bright orange gold fish swam in a plastic bag.

"A fish?" Nick blinked and stared at the bowl sitting on the coffee table.

"Ta-da! You guys don't have anything alive here, not even a plant so here you go!" Nick just looked blank, and scratched his head. "Oh crap, you hate it don't you. If you don't want to keep it I'll talk to Cath, see if Lindsay wants him. I just thought a small pet would make the place a little cheerier, and it's just one little fish, I'll even feed it if you want." She picked up the bowl and took it into the kitchen. "God, please just say something Nick." He looked up at her and started laughing.

"You are the most unique individual, after Greg, that I have ever met." She let her breath out.

"You like the fish?"

"I like the fish. It's a very interesting way to say you're sorry."

"Chocolate or flowers are too cliché. Too much of a married person apology." They turned as Greg walked in the door.

"I will not rest until Gil Grissom has to endure an equally horrific series of lectures." He walked over to Nick and kissed the older man fiercely. "The only thing that kept me going was the thought of your pretty face." He looked over at Natalie and the bowl. "What's with the fish?"

"The fish is an apology for being such a meanie to Nick earlier."

"Ah," he took Nick's face into his hands. "You danced with the devil today." He looked into his eyes. "The damage shouldn't be permanent."

"Oh shut up." She filled the bowl and replaced the bag to let it float in the water. "What are we gonna name this little guy?"

Admiral Fishy McGills was still alive and swimming two weeks later. It was one of those days when all three of them had time off, and Greg was trying to figure out a polite way to get rid of his best friend so he could spend the day in bed with his boyfriend. And maybe a few other rooms in the apartment as well. When Nick woke up he was surprised to see Greg setting the table.

"Morning Greggo." He greeted him with a kiss. "What's all this?"

"I thought I'd fix my man some breakfast, I can manage pancakes easily enough."

"Aw, G, you cooked for me?"

"Don't sound so shocked." He slid three onto a plate. "It might just be the only thing I can cook without lighting the house on fire, and they taste pretty good." Nick sat down and poured syrup over them. He took a small bite and chewed thoughtfully.

"Mmm, I approve." Greg smiled and sat down with his own plate. The two ate for a few moments in silence.

"Nicky? Do you have any plans for today?" Greg asked, keeping his voice casual. Nick looked up and shook his head.

"Nah, I thought I'd take it easy."

"How easy?"

"What do you mean?" Greg grinned and leaned over the table.

"I was thinking of getting rid of Natalie for the day," His foot slid up Nick's calf under the table. "And taking advantage of an empty apartment for a few hours."

"That sounds like a plan I could deal with." Natalie breezed into the kitchen, clad in a knee length silk robe.

"Hey boys, isn't today just a ten?" She chattered a bit as she made some toast and poured a glass of orange juice. The two men stared at her as she spread marmalade over the bread. "What are you doing on this lovely day off?" She crunched into her toast.

"Um, just staying in I think. Nat, what's with the Mary Poppins routine?"

"Oh, just looking forward to today." Greg moved closer and sniffed her.

"You're hair is styled, and you smell like a girl. What's the deal?" Natalie ran her hand over her hair. She had it pulled back into a simple braid, loose curls falling around her face.

"Do you like it? It took me a while." She got up and skipped off for the bathroom. Nick and Greg could hear her singing to herself.

"Something is up." Greg stood and walked out of the room. "Nat? What's going on?" He peered into the bathroom, where she stood brushing her teeth. She spat and rinsed and started to powder her face with a large fluffy brush.

"Nothing's going on. Now go finish breakfasting with your man so I can get dressed." She shut the door. Greg returned to the kitchen and frowned at Nick.

"She never does her hair and makeup. She's dolled herself up!" Nick set the dishes in the sink and turned.

"I've seen her wear makeup."

"Yeah, only when she has a meeting or something!"

"Hey, what do you think?" Both men looked at Natalie and gaped. The dress was red and screamed woman. The straps were thin, and the neck line skimmed over her breasts showing a subtle amount of cleavage, and the skirt fell just above her knees. She indulged in a spin and struck an exaggerated pose.

"Okay boys, roll your tongues back in, I'm not trying to impress you."

"You – You're wearing heels." The words struggled out of Greg's mouth. She looked down at the black peep-toed shoes.

"Oh, yeah, they're new."

"What are you doing dressed like that?"

"I happen to have a date with the most adorable lab tech in Las Vegas." Greg's heart sank. Had he forgotten about plans they had made?

"Since when do you get dressed up like that to go out with me?" Natalie turned back to face him.

"Oh, Greg. I guess I should have said the second most adorable lab tech." The panic started to raise in Greg's stomach.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm going out with Dave today. Hodges."

_DUN DUN DUN. Okay, maybe this isn't much of a cliffhanger but I'm keeping the dramatic music cue. : Keep the reviews coming, the ego of an author is a frail one. (har har) _


	5. Chapter 5

Nick felt his jaw drop. The petite woman in front of him had on a dress that advertised sin, and she was wearing it for Hodges? Greg was beside himself, actually sputtering, trying to spit out words.

"You're dating Hodges?" Nick voiced the words aloud.

"As in, David Hodges, the clean freak, the smart ass, can't run a simple test without a five minute speech, that Hodges?" Greg seemed to regain the gift of gab. Natalie crossed her arm across her chest and narrowed her eyes.

"He's a really great guy. He makes me laugh, and he respects me."

"What do you mean? We respect you!"

"Greg, its two different cases." She sat on the arm of the couch. "To you two I'm a friend, maybe even a sisterly type. Which there's nothing wrong with. I wouldn't change a thing about you guys, or our relationship. Hodges, Dave… He sees me as a woman."

"Oh God, please get that image out of my brain."

"I'm serious Greg. And as my friends," she looked over at Nick. "I would really appreciate it if you would accept this, okay? Despite outward appearances he treats me really well."

"Wait, this isn't your first time going out with him is it?"

"No it isn't. We've had lunch a few times, and some coffee dates."

"Then why does he get the dress for today?" Nick interjected. "If it's not a first date?"

"Because he's never seen me dressed up or anything. Jeez, I'm a GIRL. Is it wrong to put myself together a certain way for a guy?" A timid knock sounded at the door. "Oh! That's him; I hope you don't mind I told him to pick me up here." She pranced over to the door. Hodges stood in the doorway looking uncomfortable. Nick and Greg stared as Natalie threw her arms around him and kissed his cheek. Obviously not wanting to stretch out the awkwardness, she turned back to the guys and smiled. "See you later roomies!" She winked and shut the door behind them.

Greg stood in shock for a moment before he went to the window and looked down into the parking lot.

"Nick you have to see this, or else no one will believe me." Nick joined Greg at the window and peered out. Hodges was against his car, Natalie in his arms. The two were locked in a passionate kiss. "That is without a doubt the _weirdest_ thing I have ever seen."

"I don't know, it just looks like two people enjoying a romantic moment to me." Nick glanced over at Greg.

"But it's _Hodges_. And Natalie. Sweet, goofy, quirky Natalie. Weird, sarcastic, ass kissing Hodges! It makes no sense!"

"Does everything have to make sense Greg? Maybe he's weird because he needs some spice in his life."

"Don't take his side!"

"I'm not taking anyone's side! Jeez babe, why don't you just chill out? Nat's a big girl, and I'm pretty sure if Hodges tried something she didn't agree with, she could lay him out flat. She's small, but she's feisty."

"Oh shut up." Greg winced as the kiss broke and Hodges opened the car door for Natalie to slide in. Nick put his arms around Greg and kissed his cheek.

"Come on, let it go, I thought we were gonna make the most of the empty apartment today." The younger man pulled out of the embrace and shook his head.

"For once, I'm not in the mood." Scowling, Greg pulled on his coat and started out the door. "I'll be back in a bit, I gotta get out." Nick let his breath out as the door slammed. Despite the cold shoulder from his boy friend, he was aroused. He groaned and headed to the bathroom, cursing under his breath.

It didn't take long for Greg to spot Natalie's red dress. She and Hodges were sitting at a table outside a small café. He watched as she sipped from a large white mug and laughed at something Hodges had said. He knew she would be furious if she saw his car, but he sat there until the couple stood and left. When the other car took off, Greg gunned his engine and pulled into the street. Careful to stay far enough so he wasn't seen, he followed them. When his phone rang he considered ignoring it, knowing it would probably be Nick. It was.

"Greg? What are you doing?"

"Nothing, I'm just driving."

"You're following them aren't you?" Nick sighed. "Babe, just let it go and come home okay?"

"I'm not doing anything! I'll be home soon, I just needed some air alright?"

"Fine, but just keep in mind that it's really going to piss her off if she sees you following her."

"Whatever."

"Okay, I'll see you when you get home."

"Yeah."

"And babe?" Greg sighed.

"Yeah Nick?"

"I love you."

"I love you too." He hung up before Nick had a chance to make him feel more guilt. Hodges' car turned onto a quiet street in a suburban neighborhood as he tossed his phone into the passenger seat. The car parked in a small driveway behind a modest sedan. When Natalie got out she had put a cream colored cardigan over her dress.

"When did she grab that before she left the house?" Greg said to himself. An attractive older woman dressed in conservative clothing opened the front door and greeted the two of them. When the three of them disappeared into the house, he decided to give up spying and go back to the apartment.

Nick was sitting in the kitchen flipping through a magazine when Greg got back. The twang of country music had the Texan tapping his foot absentmindedly. He looked up when Greg sat down across from him.

"Lose visual of the target?"

"Oh shut up, I wasn't following them." Greg snapped, annoyed that Nick could read him so well.

"We both know you were. I'm not going to lecture you, so lighten up." He stood and got a beer out of the fridge before he sat back down. "But I will say this. I know Hodges isn't the first person you would think Nat would end up with, but it's her choice. And if she says he treats her well, and she's happy, isn't that all that matters?" He paused and took a long gulp from the can. "And snapping at me isn't going to change matters, so you can just cut that out now." Greg pressed his hand to his forehead and sighed.

"I hate when you're all adult and rational." He reached out and took Nick's hand. "I'm sorry. I'm being a jackass and I need to chill out."

"I'm not going to disagree." Before Greg could reply, he pulled him onto his lap and pressed his lips against Greg's. "But you're my jackass, so I forgive you." Greg laughed and kissed him back, wrapping his arms around Nick's neck.

"Mmm, I think I might be in the mood now."

"Too bad, I took care of things after you left." Greg rocked his hips against Nick's, teasing a moan out of the older man's lips.

"Feels like more things need to be taken care of." He started undoing Nick's pants. "Lets do it right here."

_"Ohhhh Dave…" Natalie was naked and writhing beneath Hodges, her legs wrapped around his back. Hands streaked over skin slick with perspiration, fingers digging into flesh as moans and sighs were swallowed in desperate kisses. _

Greg jerked awake, the image of Natalie and Hodges making love still fresh in his mind. He was still lying in Nick's arms on the couch, and his sudden movement had stirred Nick awake as well.

"Hmm, what's wrong?"

"Just a bad dream I guess."

"What time is it?" Greg squinted at the clock.

"Almost five."

"We should get up and have some dinner. I'm kind of hungry."

"We should probably put some pants on too." Greg got up and pulled his jeans on. Nick started to get up to search for his when Natalie came through the door. He quickly pulled the quilt off the back of the couch over his naked form.

"Holy cow guys, you will not believe who I met today." The heels were toed off at the door. "His _mother_. He told his mother about me, isn't that adorable? I think she might hate me."

"Hello to you too." She turned around and smiled.

"Hey." She blinked and realized they were both in various states of undress. "Oh jeez, I didn't interrupt anything did I?"

"No, were just going to get some food."

"Oh, well why don't you guys chill, I can cook if you want." She started for the kitchen, unbuttoning and shrugging out of the cardigan. "What do you guys feel like?"

"Wait." She stopped and turned, taken aback by Greg's icy tone.

"What's the matter?" He walked towards her and ran his fingers over the dark mark on her shoulder.

"Is that a hickey?" Natalie's hand quickly covered it.

"Perhaps."

"Your hair was up this morning." Her auburn waves fell down her back now.

"So? Are you implying something?" She crossed her arms over her chest and her stance stiffened. "Well?"

"You slept with him didn't you?" Her eyes narrowed.

"I fail to see how that's your business."

"I'm your best friend."

"Yes you are, so why is it that all I see in your eyes is judgment?"

"Did you sleep with him?"

"What does it matter?" her voice starting climbing in volume.

"Greg, Natalie, maybe you guys should calm down."

"No, Nick, I think Greg needs to get something off his chest."

"You bet I do. Ever since you got here you've been keeping things from me."

"Maybe I had a reason Greg, ever think about that? You haven't been exactly the trusting friend I remember."

"We always share everything Nat!" Nick shifted uncomfortably.

"Hey, can you take a breather and find my pants, I feel ridiculous."

"Hold on for a minute," Greg barely shot Nick a glance. "What do you mean I haven't trusted you?"

"You don't trust me to make the right choice. They're _my_ choices Greg."

"So far all I've seen you chose is the bed of yet another guy." His shout seemed to ring throughout the apartment, leaving behind a deafening silence. The color drained from Natalie's face, and the tears began to fall. "I didn't mean that." Greg reached out and took her arms. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it." Natalie jerked out of his grasp.

"Too late Greg." She quietly walked to her room. Greg looked at Nick, his eyes pleading for help. Nick shook his head.

"You need to fix this babe, it's got nothing to do with me." He said quietly. His heart ached for the two friends, the man he loved, and the woman he had begun to.

"Natalie, please, come out. I'm sorry." The door opened, she had shed the dress and changed into flannel pajama pants and a tee shirt. Her face had flushed with anger.

"I really have nothing to say to you right now." She brushed past and he saw the bag in her hand.

"Wait, are you leaving?"

"I'm so mad at you right now, I can't even see straight. If I stay here, I will say something just as stupid and hurtful to you, so I'm leaving." She walked back into the living room and tossed Nick his pants. "By the way, I did sleep with Hodges. For the first time today." She paused at the door and turned to look at Greg, tears falling down her cheeks. "I think I might love him." The door shut softly behind her. The two men sat in silence for a few moments.

"I'm a colossal idiot."

"I love you, but I'm not going to argue that point with you."

_Okay, be kind. I'm not so sure about this chapter…_


	6. Chapter 6

The next day in the lab was very subdued. No shouts for music to be turned down, no snappy comebacks, no jokes. Greg worked methodically, keeping mostly to himself only speaking when delivering results. In the middle of his shift Nick walked in, his eyes bright with sympathy.

"Hey Greggo, how are you feeling?" The lab tech looked up from his microscope looking dejected.

"I practically called my best friend in the whole world a slut. She's requested to spend time in AV, a department she can hardly tolerate rather than work in here with me. I'm feeling lousy." He jotted something down on a pad of paper. "But the worst part is the 'I feel sorry for you' knowing looks I keep getting from Sara and Catherine." Nick ignored the fact that they were at work, and wrapped his arms around Greg. Everyone knew the two were living together, but they both kept a professional front in the lab.

"I know babe, I know you're sorry. She just needs some time to cool off, she knows you didn't mean what you said, I'm sure of it." The two stood holding each other. Greg rested his head on Nick's shoulder, comforted by the warm smell of his skin.

"I don't know if she'll ever speak to me again." Nick ran his hands over Greg's back, trying to soothe away the tension radiating from him.

"She's hurt. Even though you regret what you said, and wish you could take it back, you can't. She has a right to be hurt right now. Give her time." Greg pulled away slightly, looking into Nick's eyes, a sad smile on his lips.

"Why do you always have to be so rational?" Nick wiped away the tear falling down Greg's cheek.

"Because I have to be." He leaned in and kissed him softly, lovingly to comfort his boyfriend's aching heart.

A quiet cough startled them, they broke apart and turned to Grissom standing in the doorway.

"Nick, you and Warrick have a warrant to search a home." Nick nodded and left, blushing furiously. Greg stood awkwardly, shifting from one foot to the other. Grissom remained in the doorway, looking thoughtful.

"Problems with women are best solved on their terms."

"What?" Greg blinked, shocked that his superior was addressing a personal matter.

"I know you take part in a different kind of romantic relationship, but your issue with a woman is still a problem in a relationship. I suggest you let her come to you." He turned to leave, but paused. "I told her I'd give her a week in AV." As Grissom walked away, Greg sat down on a stool, trying to work out the emotions coursing through his mind.

A few hours later, Nick stopped by the trace lab to drop off samples for Hodges. He found the lab tech sitting casually at the computer, humming absentmindedly to the radio.

"You seem to be in a good mood." Hodges looked up from the screen, a red flush started in his cheeks.

"Yeah, something like that." His voice was nervous.

"I'm not here to twist you into a pretzel Hodges, just to give you some samples to run." Sara peered into the door.

"Hey, you got results for me yet?"

"Oh, right." Still obviously nervous, he rose and took some pages off the printer. "The substance you found in the sink is a mixture of hair gel and marinara. Not my first choice for a pizza topping or styling agent." He handed the sheet to Sara.

"Thanks." She turned and bumped into Archie. "Whoops, sorry." The AV tech walked into the lab and looked at Nick.

"Listen, I don't care how hot she is, how nice she is. She's hasn't even been in there for a whole shift and it's painfully obvious how much she hates working in AV."

"What?"

"Natalie. She's driving me up a wall. Like I said, she's really _really_ hot, but AV isn't where she belongs."

"She isn't in there to be eye candy for you." Hodges snapped. Nick looked at him with surprise. "So why don't you just shut up and go back to work."

"Screw you Hodges." Archie snapped back, and stalked away. Nick was taken aback by the way he had jumped to Natalie's defense.

"Wow, I didn't think you had that in you." Hodges' hands clenched around the papers in his hands, his knuckles white.

"What would you do if someone was talking garbage about the person you lo- cared about?"

"Did you almost say what I think you did?"

"Never mind. She isn't in there because she wants to be. She's in there because she's hurt." He relaxed his hands and set the papers down. "She was so upset yesterday… She cried for hours."

"She went to your place?"

"I know I'm not the most likable guy in this place Nick. But has anyone ever tried to find out why? No. Forgive the clichéd line, but she understands me. And it killed me to see her so sad."

"I know what you mean." Nick said quietly.

"I won't be mad at Greg, it would make her more upset. However, I just can't understand why he said what he did. I think you need to talk to him about it. I just want to see her smile again."

"I think I may talk to him about it later…" Nick walked to the break room, trying to digest what he had just heard and witnessed.

Hours later, Nick and Greg were sliding into a booth at a diner around the corner from their apartment.

"Go ahead and order whatever you want, it's on me." Nick told him, after placing orders for two large coffees.

"I don't know if I'm really all that hungry right now." Greg's eyes scanned over the menu. "Well, I guess French toast sounds pretty good."

"It does." The waitress set down their drinks. "We'll both have the French toast platter with ham." He handed her the menus and drank deeply from the mug in front of him. "Are you feeling any better?"

"Not really. I keep playing it over in my head and I just can't believe I would throw the past in her face like that."

"What do you mean, the past?"

"It's nothing." He started stacking the jelly packets in a tower. "I don't know why I snapped so bad. I know she has sex. I know she has relationships."

"Maybe it's because it's someone you know?"

"I don't really like Hodges. He's not a bad guy, but he just has this thing about him that pushes people away. It just makes it easier to leave when pushed." Nick thought back to what Hodges had said in the lab. It was true; no one had tried to make an effort to befriend him. Greg wasn't at fault in that regard, he was no different, neither was anyone else in the lab.

"So, it is because you know him."

"I don't like the idea of his hands being where mine have been too." Nick choked on his coffee.

"Excuse me?" He forced the words out. "What did you just say?" Again, Greg had spit out more than he had meant to.

"I, um… Me and Natalie kind of, did it. In college."

"I'm nauseous."

"Nick, it was years ago, it was only a few times! You've slept with women!"

"Yeah but I don't live with the women I had sex with." He pressed his fingers to his eyes. "How could you not tell me?"

"Because it's not a big deal! Babe," He reached out and grasped Nick's shirt, holding on desperately. "We figured out we were better friends than lovers, and then I came to terms with being gay and she still stuck with me like glue. We're friends and that's it I swear to you."

"How could you not tell me? How could you keep this from me?"

"Please don't do this, I love you so much and nothing will change that. It's only you I think of when we make love."

"But now, your past has a face. I have to think about this Greg. I think it would be best if I stayed with Warrick for a few days. Figure this out."

"Please, tell me you still love me!" Nick sighed and stood, throwing a twenty dollar bill on the table.

"I'll talk to you in a few days Greg."

Natalie sat staring out the window, a blanket around her shoulders. Hodges' cat crawled into her lap, nuzzling her hands.

"I thought you could use some tea." She turned and let her face soften.

"Thanks Dave."

"Do you know what you're going to do yet?" She looked out the window again, her hands stroking over the purring cat.

"I know I have to talk to Greg soon. I hate not speaking, he's the only person I've had for a long time." Hodges set the mug down on the coffee table and sat down next to her.

"You have Nick." She sighed and rested her head against his chest.

"For how long I wonder." His arms came around her.

"You have me." The tears she thought had been cried dry swam into her eyes.

"I love you David Hodges."


	7. Chapter 7

_Okay, this chapter is a bit shorter. However, I suffered from extreme writer's block that very nearly pushed me to insanity. Okay that was melodramatic, but for a while there the muses had left me high and dry. Thanks to all of you who continue to leave me lovely reviews, and I hope I didn't let you guys down with this extremely difficult chapter!!_

Two days after Nick had left him in the diner, Greg sat in the break room, miserably picking at dry piece of leftover pizza. Natalie was still avoiding him in AV, a fact that had Archie staring daggers at him whenever they passed each other. After ten minutes of brooding he gave up on his lunch and threw it forcefully into the trash.

"Hey, that poor little slice didn't do anything." Greg tried to look amused but could only manage a grim smile. Catherine and Sara slide into seats next to him, each with a large take out salad.

"How you doing Greg?" Sara looked at him with eyes full of concern.

"I'm somewhere between crawl under a rock, and kill me now, if you must know."

"Oh hon, things will get better. Things always do." Catherine offered him a smile and took a large bite of lettuce.

"I'm trying to believe that." He replied quietly. Grissom walked in and sat down with a sandwich. While the two women continued to display sympathy, he seemed completely oblivious to whatever dramatics had been taking place in the lab.

"No lunch Greg?"

"I'm not hungry I guess."

"How are you doing with those samples?"

"I'm getting through them."

"I'm sure you are, you do a good job." Greg blinked in surprise. Grissom rarely gave such a blatant compliment. When he looked up, Grissom was looking back at him, a look of understanding in his face. Despite himself, he felt the unhappiness lighten just a little. He let his posture relax a bit, and then he saw her in the doorway.

Natalie stood radiating misery, her eyes bright with tears. He stood up startled by her appearance, and when she wordlessly handed him a piece of paper he felt his insides freeze.

"Nat! What's the matter?" Sara jumped up quickly as she began to sob, but stopped as Natalie held up her hand and shook her head.

"Her father died." Greg answered for her, and folded up the letter and stuffed it into his pocket. He took four quick strides across the room and took Natalie into his arms before she could resist. Grissom was at their side, laying a supportive hand on Natalie's shoulder.

"You just tell me when you need to go for the memorial service, I'm sorry for your loss."

"That won't be necessary. She just needs to go home for a day or two." Hodges came running up the hallway towards the break room.

"There you are!" He stopped when he realized Natalie was crying, wrapped in Greg's arms.

"Hodges, you need to take Nat home. Just let her lay down and make sure she eats something later." He leaned down and kissed her cheek, whispering a few words into her ear. Natalie clung to him, her face pressed against his chest.

"Natalie," Hodges' voice was gentle. "Come on, sweetie I'll take you home." She pulled away from Greg, and for a moment seemed torn between the two lab techs.

"I'm sorry I ran away from you." She said quietly. "I know you didn't mean what you said." Greg smiled sadly.

"I'll come by and see you when I get off work okay?" Natalie nodded and Hodges wrapped his arm around her waist, leading her out of the room. Greg collapsed into the closest chair and rested his forehead against his hands.

"Did he just call her 'sweetie'?" Catherine asked, her voice incredulous.

"That's not the question I would have asked first." Grissom said, sitting across from Greg. "Why won't it be necessary for her to go home for her father's funeral?"

"Because the funeral was two months ago."

"What?" Sara voiced the shock. "What do you mean it was two months ago?"

"Exactly what I said, alright? It was two months ago, and there's no reason for her to go home okay?" Greg started for the door. "And don't talk to her about it, she doesn't need to be reminded." He left in a cloud of fury.

"It doesn't make sense." Sara said quietly. "Why didn't she know her father was dead? Why would she find out via a letter sent to the lab?"

"Does anybody want to tell me why she went home with _Hodges_?" Catherine was still preoccupied with the strange relationship.

"They're sort of together."

"Ah, of course. It all makes sense now."

"Please don't be sarcastic right now."

"How can I not be? Are you telling me you can honestly say that you would have figured those two to end up together?" It was Sara's turn to sigh.

"No, I can't honestly say that. But they seem to be happy together, I just wish Greg and Nick could find some way to reconcile."

The rest of Greg's shift passed in a blur. Sara tried to talk to him several times, but he ignored her, the anger boiling under his skin wouldn't allow anything civil to be said, so his mouth stayed shut. Right before he left, Nick stopped by. He didn't enter the room, but he stood in the hallway, staring at the lab tech, his expression quite unreadable. When their eyes met, Greg felt a sizzle of pure electricity shoot down his spine. He started to open his to speak, but Nick looked startled and walked away.

"This needs to be fixed." He growled and stomped his way out of the building.

Hodges' apartment was nearly everything Greg could have pictured. Everything was meticulously organized and spotless. Only the shedding cat lying across the couch seemed out of place.

"She's still really upset, understandably so." Hodges told Greg with a miserable look on his face. "I tried to get her to eat something about an hour ago and she just choked down a few bites and went back to bed." He paused, looking like he was collecting his thoughts.

"I'm not here to fight. I want to talk about what happened and try to put it behind us." Hodges looked relieved.

"I'll go wake her up." Greg sat fighting anxiety, listening to the cat's content purring. _This is my best friend, _he thought. _I don't need to be nervous about talking to her. _He tried to calm himself down, but as Natalie's voice joined Hodges' quiet murmurs, his stomach flipped. When the two of them joined him in the living room, he felt his heart hammer in his chest.

Natalie was pale and bleary eyed. A pair of sweats obviously belonging to the man of the house pooled around her ankles. It made her look young and helpless. She sat down and only nodded when Hodges said he would get her a cup of tea.

"Nat," Greg began nervously. "I'm so sorry." Her eyes were bright with tears, but she kept her composure. "What I said, it wasn't me, it was jealousy."

"Oh Greg, you have nothing to be jealous of."

"I know. It's just that we haven't seen each other in a few years, and I guess I didn't like sharing." Hodges returned and sat next to Natalie, handing her a mug. She smile at him and drank the tea as fast as the heat would allow her.

"I honestly didn't think it would be a big deal. I mean, you have Nick. I didn't want you to feel like I was smothering you."

"Yeah, I have Nick…" He trailed off and tried to swallow the lump that formed in his throat.

"What's wrong? Did something happen to Nick?" Her voice was alarmed. Greg shook his head.

"No, he's fine. We had a fight. It kind of slipped out about, um, you and I in college." He looked uneasily at Hodges.

"Dave knows that we had a brief affair in college. I told him before we got, uh, serious."

"I was an idiot and didn't say anything, and now he won't talk to me. He's staying with Warrick."

"Maybe I should talk to him."

"I don't know if that would do any good."

"I think if I explain the situation, my past, he might be a little more understanding."

"Nick doesn't need to know what happened in your past! It's my past that's the problem!" Natalie sighed and set the cup on the table.

"Unfortunately, and I don't say that because I regret what we did, your past and mine cross paths." She took Hodges' hand, linking their fingers together. "I know I did some messed up things when I was younger. Believe me, I've spent quite a bit of time working through my issues and accepting that what happened has happened. I can't change it, and now, I don't know if I would want to. Everything has lead me here, and here is where I'm supposed to be." Greg was silent. He looked at the couple sitting across from him and ached for Nick's arm to wrap around his shoulders the way Hodges was holding Natalie.

"That makes sense." He said after a few minutes. "At this point, I'll do anything to have Nick back."


	8. Chapter 8

_I know it's been awhile again since I've posted, but here's another chapter. I have a bunch of ideas for continuing it, but I don't know if I should end this in a chapter or 2 and then do a sequel, or just make it one big story… So please review and tell me what you think of this chapter, and then leave an opinion about the story length. One big mutha of a story? Or make it 2? _

Nick walked past the DNA lab several times the next day, and refused to admit that he did so only to see Greg. He was surprised that Natalie was working along side him, and wondered if Archie had threatened her life to get her out of AV. He had heard about her father's death, but only in passing. Sara and Catherine speculated about the details in whispers. Towards the end of his shift he found himself walked past DNA once again. He mentally kicked himself for being there, and felt his stomach clench when he saw Greg's goofy smile. He wished it had been aimed at him, instead of Natalie.

For days he yearned to go to Greg, and every time he tried to get past what he had been told, all he could see was the two of them writhing in a naked embrace. He stood in the hallway staring blindly into the lab, and nearly jumped out of his skin when a gentle hand touched his shoulder.

"Nick?" He sighed and forced himself to relax.

"Hey Nat." She wrung her hands together nervously.

"Um, I was wondering if we could… Go have a drink? Or a cup of coffee? It's just that I think we should talk, so maybe after shift we could go and…" Nick had never seen her so nervous, she could hardly speak.

"Sure, Nat, uh, I'll just go change and we can go get some food." He walked away. Greg wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin on the top of her head.

"Don't worry, the mad is all gone. He likes to think he's a hard ass but he's really just a big softie."

"Then why haven't you tried to talk to him?" Greg dropped his arms and stepped away.

"Oh, that's just because I… It's just that… Well I just think it'll be best if I just wait until you straighten things out you know?"

"Right, I'll just clean up the mess we _both_ made then."

"Don't be like that." He pulled her in for another hug. "We both know that you're a thousand percent better with words than I am. Besides, you have that small, fragile damsel in distress look. Just give him the big eyes and lay it on him."

"Oh shut up. I need to go tell Dave that I'm leaving."

Nick ate the food he had ordered only to make a show of being at ease. Natalie only pushed at her French fries. He took a swallow of cola, and cleared his throat.

"I think you should just get it over with and tell me that you sleeping with my boyfriend is no big deal." She looked up, startled.

"Oh Nick," she paused and blinked back tears. "I promised myself I wouldn't cry. I don't want you to think I'm using my tears to try and soften you up."

"I know you're not that kind of girl."

"Then I'll just apologize now if they come anyway." He nodded. "I need to explain to you the kind of person I was before Greg met me in college."

"What's that have to do with anything?"

"Everything. You see, the reason I took our relationship to that level stems from the fact that my parents didn't give a shit about me."

"Please, that is one of the lamest excuses."

"Just listen to me!" She reached out and grasped Nick's hand. "Did Greg tell you anything about my family at all?" Nick thought for a moment.

"He told me that they were kind of liberal with the rules." She snorted.

"Right. They didn't give a shit. My mom got knocked up when my parents were teenagers, and my Grandfather forced them to get married. The resented the very fact that I was alive. They were perfectly friendly to each other but they didn't want me around. When I was eleven they pretty much decided I was old enough to fend for myself and let me have free reign. They didn't care enough to tell me what to do. I turned into a miserable little brat." She laughed bitterly. "I turned into a statistic, a product of my environment."

"How so?" Nick could feel the resentment melt away, being replaced with pity for the woman sitting across from him.

"When I was thirteen I had my first sip of alcohol. I hated the taste of the beer but if I drank enough it didn't matter. When that wasn't enough of a buffer, I started smoking pot. By the time I was fourteen I was dropping acid and taking E." Nick felt cold. "On my fifteenth birthday I went to my first rave. I warmed right up to a twenty-five year old with a bag of shrooms, and ended up flat on my back losing my virginity to a greasy drug dealer with tattoo of a naked cheerleader on his chest." She stopped talking and took a sip of her coffee.

"Nat, you don't have to tell me all of this."

"No, I do. I think of you as a big brother, and I can't stand the thought that you and Greg are fighting. You guys are my family and I need to make things right." Nick took her hand and held it firmly.

"Okay then, go ahead and finish."

"Well, just shy of my seventeenth birthday my mom's mother came to visit. She was nothing like my mother. She laid down the law. For the first time in my life I had rules. She made me accept responsibility for things. When she found my little stash of pills and weed she grounded my ass. I don't want to sound cliché but she saved me. I weighed no more than ninety pounds, and I was dangerously close to flunking out of high school. Long story short… She got me cleaned up and forced me to get my grades up. She also used her family money to get me into college. I don't know how she did it, I bombed the SAT's so bad, but somehow I was going to school." She looked out the window, a sad smile on her lips. "She died three weeks into my first semester."

"It's a miracle you aren't dead."

"It really is, and I owe it all to her. She left me enough money to get my education. It pissed off my Grandfather and my parents. They still didn't want anything to do with me."

"They don't deserve you." Natalie squeezed his hand.

"She. It's just my mom now. She's the one that wrote the letter."

"Ah, the letter."

"I figured you'd hear about it. I told her I was coming to Las Vegas to work in the crime lab. That's the only thing I told her. So, she sent the letter to the lab. Basically, she told me my father was dead, heart attack, the funeral had already been held, and there was no reason for me to bother coming home." She pulled her hand out of his. "Now for the meaning of all this. I didn't tell you that stuff to make you feel sorry for me, or guilty. Me and Greg met in a class and bonded instantly. I don't really remember why, I guess we just clicked. We were only friends for the first year of college, but then I went and stayed with him and his family over summer break. His mother thought I was weird at first, but warmed up to me soon enough. It wasn't long until she started dropping hints that Greg and I would be cute as a couple. I was so desperate to hold onto any sort of family feelings that those hints stuck in my mind. When we went back to school I invited him back to my dorm." She trailed off.

"Go ahead, I know where this is going."

"One thing led to another, and I made up both our minds to take the relationship to the next level. It felt like the first time, because he was the first one I actually cared for. It was his first time, and he was so nervous and unsure that it made me feel like a virgin again. I won't lie and tell you that it was only that one time, but we really didn't last that long as a couple. A few weeks or something. We knew that we made better friends than lovers. It was only a short time after that that he came out to me." The disturbing image of Natalie and Greg humping wildly was replaced with the sweet image of two young adults fumbling around in a dark dorm room.

"Well, that doesn't sound so awful when you put it in that context." Natalie smiled sadly.

"I'm glad you're… Some what okay with it then." She sighed. "But I have to unload one more piece of baggage. After Greg and I decided to stay friends, I did become one of _those_ girls. You know, looking for affection, but ending up just sleeping around? Again, a pitiful product of my environment."

"You can't beat yourself up over that Nat."

"I know, most of the time I just focus on the present. But recent events have stirred up all the black sheepiness of my past." She suddenly locked eyes with him, her's shining with such intent it startled him. "I hope this doesn't change the way you feel about our relationship, or your's and Greg's."

"Never. You're family." They exchanged warm smiles. "I really think we should hug now." Natalie laughed and stood up and threw herself into his arms.

"I love you Nicky."

"I love you too Nat." He squeezed her tightly. "Guess you weren't that good in bed, though. Sending Greg over to the other team." He felt a sharp pinch on his arm and heard her snort out some laughter. She pulled away and looked up at him, cocking an eyebrow.

"If we were both single I'd make you eat those words."

"Oh yeah, we're gonna be okay." She laughed again.

"Of course we are. We're family." He hugged her again.

"Family."

The only thing left for Nick to do was go home to Greg. The sandwich he had forced down churned unpleasantly in his stomach as he approached the door of the apartment. Greg opened the door before he even got the chance to knock. The two men stared at each other for a full minute before either they started talking in unison.

"I was and idiot…"

"I should have told you before…" They stopped and stared some more before bursting into hysterical laughter. Greg pulled Nick inside and pressed a warm kiss to his mouth.

"I love you." Greg said it so fiercely, Nick felt the words in his blood.

"I love you too."

"I hate fighting."

"It's awful."

"We should never fight."

"Well, maybe once in a while we could."

"What? Why?"

"So we can make up…" Nick pulled Greg down onto the floor, kissing the younger man passionately.

Natalie and Hodges lay in each other's arms, content, watching the sun begin to fill the room with light. She pressed a soft kiss to his chest, feeling his heart beat. His fingers traced lazy circles across her back.

"I love falling asleep with you, so I can wake up next to you." She murmured.

"Mmm. I just plain love you." Natalie shifted so she could reach his lips.

"I just plain love you too. Lying in bed with you just makes it sweeter."

"How would you feel about lying in bed with me for the rest of your life?" She laughed and cuddled closer.

"I'd say right now, that sounds like a very good idea." He took her chin into his hand and looked into her eyes.

"Falling asleep next to me, waking up together? Every day?" Her heart began to pound.

"Dave, are you trying to ask me something?"


	9. Chapter 9

Nick cursed and grumbled his way into the lab. He was working on two and a half hours of sleep, having been woken up by Grissom's call. He stormed past everyone making his way to the showers.

"Nick!" He turned and snarled at Greg, receiving a laugh he would have found adorable had his mood not been so black.

"Greg, I'm covered in dirt and God knows what else, all I want is a shower and a cup of coffee. Please step out of the way and let me go before I burst into tears and humiliate myself."

"Okay! Fine, I just wanted to tell you that Nat and Hodges are coming over for dinner." Nick groaned.

"Since when did we have plans with them?" Greg tucked his arm into Nick's and started to walk to the locker room.

"She called me last night before you got home, said she wants the four of us to 'bond', her word, not mine. She suggested we do dinner at our place since we have more room in the kitchen. Don't worry; she's bringing all the food." Nick sat down on one of the benches and sighed.

"And you were asleep before I got home, and then I had to leave three hours later. Great." Greg tugged Nick's shirt over his head and threw it in his laundry bag.

"You really smell you know." Nick answered with another snarl. "Okay okay, hop in the shower, go home and sleep for a few hours and you'll better. I'll be home around six."

Nick barely made it to his bed before sleep took over his consciousness. He slept dreamlessly, and awoke three hours later to soft music and female laughter. His lips curved as his eyes opened. Natalie was back in the apartment. He pulled on a pair of jeans and rummaged through the dresser for a decent shirt. Walking into the kitchen he found Greg and Hodges sitting at the table, and Natalie at the stove, chattering away, stirring a large pot of sauce.

"I hope that's dinner, it smells incredible." Her head whipped around, curls flying.

"Nicky!" She rushed into his arms and hugged him tightly.

"Hello to you too!" He peered over her shoulder at Greg. She pulled away gently and tapped her finger against his nose.

"You're up just in time; I was just about to take out the chicken." Nick's stomach grumbled with hunger.

"Homemade chicken parmesan?" She nodded and skipped back to the sauce. "What's the occasion?" Natalie shot Hodges a quick look, and Nick saw total and complete happiness. She looked back at Nick and grinned.

"Oh, we'll get to that in a bit."

Natalie served the chicken with generous helpings of fresh salad. Greg watched as his best friend ate with enthusiasm, her free hand resting on Hodges' knee. His heart started to thud nervously in his chest, yet he didn't know why.

"Don't fill up too much, I made cheesecake." Nick laughed and pushed his plate away.

"Alright, out with it. You never slave over dinner _and_ dessert. Only one or the other. What's going on?" Again, Natalie's gaze slide over to Hodges. He smiled back at her. Greg reached out and grabbed Nick's hand.

"Greg, Nicky, I wanted you two to be the first to know. I mean, you guys are my family."

"But…" Hodges said quietly.

"Yeah, there is a 'but'. So you guys are the second to know." She beamed at them. "Dave asked me to marry him!" She stared at their blank faces. "We're getting married!" She reached out to grab Greg's other hand.

"I wanted to tell you first," her eyes were pleading. "But I agreed that the right thing to do was to tell Dave's mother first."

"I didn't mean any disrespect to you." Hodges said. "I just wanted to get telling my family out of the way."

"His mother doesn't really like me."

"That's not true."

"She thinks I'm a hussy."

"Nat."

"Any _way_, we're getting married, and you guys mean the world to me, so that's why I wanted to make you guys a nice dinner and celebrate." She was staring down at her hands. "Please say something."

"I'm so happy for you." She looked up at Greg's words, surprised to see a genuine smile on his face. "I mean it," he looked over at Hodges. "I've never seen her so happy with someone before." He said quietly. "All I've ever wanted was for you to be happy. You're family was so awful to you, and I know the guys you've dated in the past haven't all been winners." Natalie flushed crimson. "And we haven't always gotten along," he nodded at Hodges. "But I'm sure your wife-to-be will help you lighten up." The two men shared a small smile. Nick stood and picked Natalie up from her chair, earning a surprised squeal.

"And here I thought you were hopelessly in love with me." He kissed her full on the lips, and she giggled.

"Nick, you're too vain for your own good. Besides, I could never steal you away from my best friend. Now put me down you big weird-o."

"Okay lover boy, why don't you get out that nice bottle of wine we never open and we can have it with the cheesecake." Greg punched Nick's arm lightly and started to clear the dinner plates. Natalie sat on Hodges' lap and kissed him enthusiastically.

Always responsible, Hodges only had one sip of celebratory wine, and ushered his fiancée out to the car, trying hard to ignore the lusty mouth nibbling on his earlobe. Nick and Greg bid the couple farewell and stumbled into their own bedroom, full of a good meal and excellent wine.

Enjoying the afterglow of lovemaking, Greg curled against Nick, his head resting on his favorite spot on the Texan's chest.

"I really am happy for them." He murmured.

"I know." Nick replied.

The next day Nick walked into the lab to be immediately hailed by Warrick. He nodded at his friend and started to walk in his direction.

"Is it true?" Nick looked at him questioningly. Warrick sighed.

"Nat and Hodges, are they really engaged?" Nick laughed.

"Yeah its true. I haven't seen a rock yet though."

"Damn. I was hoping I'd get a chance at her."

"Hey," Nick stopped walking and grabbed Warrick's arm. "Don't say that."

"Why? You know she's a regulation hottie."

"Yes, I know. She's beautiful, but she's spoken for." Warrick raised his eyebrows, Nick sighed. "And, I think of her as a little sister. So just don't talk about her like that okay?"

"Fine, anyway, do you think Greg will give the bride away?" He lowered his voice. "You know, since her father died?" Nick swallowed the lump in his throat.

"Yeah, I have a feeling that duty will fall to Greg." He tried to push the awful story of Natalie's family from his mind. "I think we're her family now, to tell the truth."

"What?"

"Nothing." He said quickly. He noticed Sara and Catherine coming towards them.

"Natalie told us the news when she came in!" Catherine said happily. "She's such a sweet girl, I'm glad she's happy."

"She asked me to stand up for her." Sara told them, blushing, something she rarely did. "I figured she'd ask Greg." Nick threw an arm around her shoulder.

"Warrick thinks she's going to ask him to give her away." Sara nodded.

"Yeah, that makes sense. I'm just kind of… Surprised I guess."

"I told you, you've been a really good friend to her, it's not shocking that she'd ask you." Catherine said. "And besides, didn't you introduce them?"

"Well yeah, but I was just trying to help her get to know her way around the place." She shrugged. "I am pretty flattered though."

"Looks like a wedding in our future." Grissom joined the conversation. "The bride to be just told me." The group stopped as Natalie walked into the trace lab, happily greeting Hodges with a kiss.

"It's still weird." Catherine whispered. "But you can't deny the chemistry." Sara gripped Grissom's arm as Hodges reached into his pocket, pulling out a small box.

"He got her a ring!" They watched as Hodges sank down to one knee and Natalie hold out her hand to him. The harsh lights of the lab couldn't diminish the beauty of the delicate band. Nick watched the lab tech slid the ring onto Natalie's trembling fingers.

"Finally." The five CSI's jumped at Greg's quiet word. They turned to look at him. "I'm glad he finally got her a ring." He elaborated. "It's a sapphire with two small diamonds on either side."

"How do you know?"

"He asked me what her favorite stone was. Sapphire's remind her of her Grandmother, they were her favorite too. He showed it to me when I got here." Natalie plastered herself against Hodges. Grissom cleared his throat.

"We should give them a moment." The group turned and walked into the break room. Coffee was poured into mugs. "Well, here's to the happy couple." Grissom lifted his cup.

"Have they set a date?" Catherine asked. Greg shook his head.

"She told me she wants it to be soon, but I don't think they've decided yet." Grissom's phone went off.

"Another happy moment spoiled by the never ending call of duty."


	10. Chapter 10

"December." Greg looked up. They were seated at their favorite diner, waiting for Nick to arrive so they could order. Natalie's nose was in a menu, absentmindedly fingering the delicate gold ring on her left hand.

"What's December?"

"Well, it's the twelfth month of the year, and also when I'm getting married." She set the menu aside and beamed at him. "December twenty-first. The winter solstice, at sunset."

"You realize that that's only a little over a month away, right?" She nodded and lifted a hand to signal Nick as he walked in the door. He kissed her forehead before sliding in beside Greg, kissing him eagerly on the mouth.

"I am starved. Are you guys ready to order?" A frazzled waitress appeared to take their orders. "Ahh coffee." The Texan gulped down several grateful mouthfuls. "So what did I miss? Ya'll were talking when I got here."

"We set a date." Natalie said, her expression softening. "December twenty-first."

"That's like a month away."

"I know, but we're both ready to be married, and well… December has traditionally been a month of good things in my life. I think it's perfect." Nick looked at the sapphire that twinkled under the lights, and tried to imagine the wedding of the woman sitting across from him to the uptight lab tech he had hardly been able to tolerate only months before. Things certainly didn't turn out the way people would expect.

"Do you think you could call your parents Greg? And let them know? I plan on sending a formal invitation to them, but the sooner they know the date, the better."

"My parents?" Greg blinked. "You want my parents there?"

"Of course! I think of them as my family." Greg flushed with pleasure.

"Sure, I can call them."

"Thank you." She pushed her hot chocolate aside and got a sudden serious look on her face. "Now I have something to ask the two of you."

"Alright, go ahead." Nick took Greg's hand and looked at her patiently.

"Well, you see, I don't really have a…" she trailed off and cleared her throat before squaring her shoulders and beginning again. "I don't have a father anymore." Greg shifted uncomfortably. "But that fact aside, he wasn't the kind of father that I would have wanted around, as he would have only ruined the day for everyone." She took a deep breath. "What I'm trying to say is, well… You two mean the world to me, if Dave were sitting here with us I'd say that all of my favorite men were in this room." She stopped and laughed. "Wow, why can't I just ask? Will you guys give me away at the wedding?" They sat in surprised silence.

"Of course." Nick said after a few moments. He looked at Greg, who had a huge smile on his face.

"Of course we will." Greg said, agreeing. "Did you think we would say no?"

"Well, no, but you never can be too sure." She brightened. "So you guys don't mind wearing the violet tuxedos I picked out?" Nick cringed and Greg choked on a sip of coffee. "Just kidding! But I do need you guys to get some nice dress pants. Black, I'm going with the two of you to get shirts."

"Why? Don't you trust us to dress ourselves? We are gay you know." Greg teased.

"Oh shut up you big moe. I'm going with you because I'm being a terrible control freak when it comes to this wedding. I don't want anything too dressy, nothing black tie, and I also don't want it to feel like a backyard barbeque." She eyed them seriously. "No jeans. You can inform anyone that thinks they plan on attending in _jeans_." She said it so fiercely that Nick felt the need to defend himself.

"Why do you think anyone would show up in jeans? It's a wedding!"

"My parents had a shotgun wedding in front of a judge wearing jeans and tee shirts." She paused when the waitress arrived with their food. "I don't want it to be anything like that."

"I've known people that have had weddings like that, and they're just as nice."

"I'm not trying to sound like a bitch, I just don't want my wedding to been anything like the wedding my parents were forced into having. Dave's mother has found a very nice minister that is more than happy to perform the ceremony."

"What are you wearing?" Greg asked the question with a mouthful of chicken fingers. Natalie just smiled and took a dainty bite of chili.

"I have no idea. Sara, Catherine and I are going to look on Saturday."

She never would have admitted it, but Sara was terrified at the prospect of helping someone pick out their wedding dress. But Natalie was confident that between the three of them, they would find something beautiful.

"Shouldn't we be in a bridal shop?" She asked. Natalie shook her head.

"I don't believe in paying a college tuition for a dress. I know that we can find something totally great."

"Are you wearing white?"

"Yes. I was thinking of wearing another color, but Dave's mother would have kittens if I didn't wear white."

"Ohhh, tough mother-in-law?" Catherine asked, taking a pretty yellow sun dress of a rack to look at it.

"She's softening up I think. She adores her son, so I'm hoping maybe that means she begin to adore me as well."

"You never told me what you want me to wear." Sara said nervously.

"Don't look like I'm about to force feed you liver, I'm completely open to pretty much anything. I don't have a specific color in mind really, and as long as you don't look better than me, any dress is fair game." Sara laughed.

"I would never try to upstage the bride."

"Look at these shoes!" Natalie rushed over and picked up a pair of elegant gold sandals. Catherine looked over her shoulder.

"They kind of look Greek."

"I don't think the gladiators would have worn a heel like that."

"They're perfect," Natalie breathed. "We have to find a dress that will go with these."

After four long hours of searching and trying on, Natalie had a dress, shoes, and Sara had successfully found a dress that both her and Natalie loved. Catherine was very pleased with a pair of earrings she was sure would go with the outfit she planned to wear for the wedding.

"Ugh, I really don't want to try and get these back to the car." Sara collapsed on a bench outside the mall. Natalie laughed and set the bags down next to her.

"Poor Sara, I'll go get the car, you can just sit here and rest for a few minutes." Catherine handed over the keys and sat down.

"I don't know what's in that water you drink, but your energy is sickening. I'm exhausted."

"Aw Cath, I'll get the car, and then I'll take you guys out for dinner. It's the least I can do since you shopped with me all day."

"I'm not going to argue that point." Natalie walked away into the hot sun of the afternoon. She vaguely remembered where Catherine had parked when they arrived kept her eyes open. When she found it, she climbed in and gunned the engine, starting the air conditioning to try and cool the car down. She found her sunglasses in her purse and slid them on, and started to pull out of the parking space. Before she could get all the way out, horns started to blast, and people started to yell. She turned just in time to see the driver of the red Ford truck start to scream, and then she heard the sickening sound of breaking glass. And then, nothing.

Nick walked into the DNA lab holding a bag containing a condom found at a murder scene.

"We found this in the motel room. Warrick hopes we can find a match so maybe we'll have a suspect."

"Did you get any prints?" Greg asked, preparing to run the sample.

"Mostly belonging to the victim, and a ton of useless partials."

"What kind of killer leaves behind the condom?" Nick shrugged.

"Nothing really surprises me anymore, G. All we can do right now is hope that this was a really stupid murderer. If that turns out to be a dead end, we'll have to look into different scenarios."

"Shouldn't you be doing that anyway?" Nick flushed.

"Yeah, Warrick is questioning the family with Brass right now. I didn't have the energy to deal with any hysterical mothers today, so I hightailed it out of there with the evidence." Greg laughed.

"Lazy, lazy, lazy."

"Eh, shut up. If you hadn't been so demanding last night, I'd be fresh as a daisy right now."

"Don't blame it on me buster. You were perfectly agreeable with my wants and needs last night. I believe _you_ even initiated round three." Their playful banter was interrupted by Grissom.

"Hey boss, what's up?" Nick's smile disappeared when he saw the look on the older man's face. It was pale, his eyes anxious.

"There's been an accident." He said quietly, his voice strained. "Natalie was in a car accident." Greg felt his legs go weak.

"What? When?" Nick demanded.

"About forty-five minutes ago. Sara and Catherine called an ambulance, Sara rode over with her. Catherine followed with one of the police on the scene.

"I need to see her." Greg shrugged out of his lab coat.

"How bad is it?" Grissom shook his head.

"Catherine wasn't sure when she called. I think she's being examined now."

"I'm not going to sit here and discuss this any more!" Greg yelled. "We need to leave NOW."

"Nick, go ahead and take him to the hospital." Grissom told him. "Don't let him drive." He added in his ear as they passed.

"Don't worry." As they passed Trace, Nick noticed that Hodges was already gone.


	11. Chapter 11

They were immediately greeted by Sara and Catherine at the hospital. Both women were pale, their eyes showing the strain of worry. Nick hadn't let go of Greg's hand, despite the painful clutch the lab tech had on his fingers.

"Nat?" Greg panted, barely holding back the terrified tears.

"She's okay, really. The driver of the truck hit his breaks as soon as he realized he was going the wrong way in the parking lot. He hit her on the passenger side, and it's mainly cuts and bruises." Sara shoved the words out as fast as they would come. Catherine took Greg's shoulders firmly.

"Take a deep breath sweetie. If you walk in there looking the way you do right now, it will only upset her more." Greg sucked in air, trying to alleviate the tight anxiety in his chest. He sank into a near by chair and rubbed his hands over his face.

"She's really okay? Nothing broken?"

"Her neck is very painful for her right now, so they have her in a neck brace, and she has a mild concussion, but yes, other than that she is in one whole piece. The neck thing is just from the seat belt." Nick also felt his tension lessen.

"Can I go see her?" Greg asked. Sara nodded.

"Hodges is with her now, he showed up about ten minutes ago, he wouldn't even stop to talk to us." Greg felt a pang of guilt, and something akin to jealousy. He immediately pushed those feelings away. _He's her fiancé, _he thought_, and he has every right to rush to her side. _The two women led them down the hallway to her room. Sara stopped them right before they walked in.

"The black eyes are going to be the worse when you go in," she said quietly. "Somehow her sunglasses got pushed really hard into her face, and those bruises look pretty ugly." They walked into the room, and Greg felt his legs grow rubbery.

She was white against white sheets. The dark circles around her eyes were awful, black fading to purple fading to blue. Her hair was pushed severely off her face, which was puffy above a soft neck brace. Her body looked so small and frail under the oversized hospital gown.

"Greg, Nicky…" She managed a smile, her voice sounded a little faint. "Don't I look like a raccoon?" Hodges had her small, delicate hand in his. He was still wearing his lab coat. Greg took a seat on her other side, and took her hand. He gently raised it to his lips and skimmed his mouth over her knuckles.

"Scared me Nat."

"Scared me too." She replied.

"Why does she sound so loopy?" Nick asked Catherine.

"Pain killers," she told him. "Nothing crazy, but her body's been pretty banged up. She should pass out sometime soon; they're supposed to make her drowsy." Sara laid her hand on his shoulder.

"They only want to keep her overnight, just to make sure there's nothing more serious going on. She should be released in the morning."

"Stop talking about me like I'm not in the room." Natalie murmured, her eyes closed. "Go away if you're going to talk about me." A nurse wearing butterfly scrubs walked in and gave everyone a cheerful smile.

"I knew this pretty little thing would have a nice big group to check on her before long." She picked up a clip board and looked it over. "Hmm, she should be nice and sleepy right now, so I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave her alone." Hodges and Greg opened their mouths to protest. "No sass now, she's been through a lot and needs the sleep." She clucked her tongue and set the chart back down. "If everything stays the same over night, one of you will be free to take her home about nine or ten tomorrow morning."

"Don't worry, we'll leave in a few minutes." Nick assured her. The nurse flashed him a mega-watt smile.

"Alright darling, just say good night and be on your way." She left to go visit other patients.

"You heard her boys and girls, I'll be out in a few hours and you can all fuss over me then." Natalie's eyes fluttered open. Hodges leaned over and kissed her bruised cheek gently.

"I love you, I'll be here nine o'clock sharp." Natalie weakly pulled him back to kiss his lips.

"I love you too, now go and try to sleep." He left the room without looking at anyone. Nick pressed his lips softly against her forehead, Greg took her hand.

"I could hide in the bathroom and come out after the nurse leaves. Are you sure you'll be alright all alone?" Natalie laughed, and brought his hand up to her cheek. Greg winced, she was so cold, so clammy.

"I will be fine. They said I could go home in the morning. Then I'll be home and everyone can take care of me."

"Okay…" Greg leaned down to kiss her. "I love you so much."

"I love you too." She pulled him close. "Take care of him tonight."

"What?"

"Take care of him." She turned her gaze over to Nick.

"Don't let him stay by himself. You have each other, he doesn't have anyone. He'll sit and brood, and find some way to blame this on himself." She released Greg's hand and settled back into the pillows. "Now go away, I'm tired." Greg sighed.

"That's my girl."

Sara and Catherine were just outside the door. Greg wrapped his arms around the two women.

"Thank you for coming to the hospital with her."

"Don't even mention it."

"I guess we should go find Hodges." Nick said, rubbing his hands over his face.

"Natalie doesn't want him to stay by himself."

"Probably a good idea," Catherine replied, nodding. "He doesn't look good."

"Hmm?"

"He's sitting down the hall." She motioned at the man sitting about twenty feet away, his head resting on his knees. Again, Greg felt his emotions warring inside.

"I'll go talk to him." Nick kissed Greg's hand, shooting him his warmest smile. The Texan walked down the hall with an easy pace.

"Greg?" Sara's hand rested on his shoulder. "Are you okay?" He swallowed the lump in his throat that formed with the question.

"Yeah."

"Just remember she's in one piece, she'll be alright."

"Yeah." He watched Nick help Hodges to his feet, and was relieved when he saw that the other lab tech's face was dry, absent of tears. Any outpouring of emotion would break him. Nick waved for him to follow.

"I'll see you guys… Tomorrow I guess." Catherine squeezed his hand before letting him leave.

"I'm glad he has Nick." Sara said softly.

"Me too…" Catherine replied. "He has strong shoulders to lean on. He'll keep them both above water tonight."

An hour and a half later, Greg's head was rested against one of those strong shoulders. He had just thrown up gloriously into a trash bin. An empty bottle of Jack lay on its side next to Hodges. The last shot was tossed down his throat, after so many he no longer grimaced at the hot sting.

"You should never let me drink that much Nicky." Greg moaned.

"You're a grown-up Greggo, you can make your own decisions." He pressed his lips against his sweaty forehead. "I'll get you some water and some Tums." When he handed the chalky tablets to Greg, they were immediately chewed and swallowed.

"How are you holding up Hodges?" Nick set a glass of water down next to him. Greg sipped his carefully.

"I love her so much." He shut his eyes and a tear found its way down his cheek. Nick said nothing, letting the other man speak when he could find his voice. "I've never loved anyone as much as her."

"She knows that… Dave." Hodges blinked and a smile flickered over his lips, acknowledging that Nick had used his first name.

"She smiled at me when Grissom introduced us. I was lost, I hate being emotional, but I was."

"Nat has that effect on people." Greg said softly.

"Never in my entire life did I ever believe I could deserve someone so beautiful, inside and out." The tears ran freely down his face. "I thought I lost her today. She is the love of my life, and I thought I lost her." Greg lost the battle with his own tears. Nick stroked his head.

"I was angry at you." Greg whispered. "Just for a second. I was angry and jealous that you were the first one at her side." Hodges didn't reply. "I hate that, because you deserve to have the privilege to love her in the way that I can't. She is lucky to have you." The two men locked eyes. A moment of instant understanding passing between them.

"Thank you Greg."


	12. Chapter 12

Nick drove to the hospital the next morning to pick up Natalie. Greg was slumped in the passenger seat, wearing thick sunglasses to protect his aching eyes from the harsh Nevada morning sun. If Hodges felt any ill effects from the previous night, he wasn't one to complain, though he did seem to doze in the back seat during the drive. The Texan took pity on his boyfriend and kept the radio tuned to quiet soft rock.

"Are we there yet?" Greg asked, his childish question was as whiny as it sounded.

"Almost, just looking for the entrance." Nick slowed down to turn into the parking lot. It took a good fifteen minutes to find a place to park. "Alright, here let's go spring the little lady." Nick thickened his accent, trying to coax a smile from Greg's lips. He was rewarded for his efforts.

"Don't you dare make me laugh. My head feels like it's about to fall off my neck."

The three made their way into the building, stopping only to let Greg purchase a weak cup of coffee. A friendly nurse pointed them in the direction of Natalie's room. They were surprised to see a tired looking Grissom sitting in one of the plastic chairs beside her bed.

"Hey, what's going on?" Natalie had a warm smile for them.

"What are you doing here, Gris?" Nick asked, and sat gently at the foot of the bed.

"He claims he's only here as my supervisor. Just making sure I'll be able to come back to work when I get back on my feet." She sent Grissom a saucy wink. "Not that he was worried about me or anything." Her face was still bruised, but the neck brace was absent and her eyes were clear.

"Did the doctor say you could go home today?" Hodges went to her side and took her hand. She brought it to her lips and brushed a kiss over his knuckles.

"He did. And he also told me that I'm out of commission for at least a week." Grissom cleared his throat and shot her a sharp look. She sighed and leaned back into the pillows.

"Alright, he also said that for the next two days I probably shouldn't be alone. Grissom suggested I go back to staying at your place," she looked at Greg and Nick. "Since its closer to the lab and after the next few days it will be easier to get to should something go wrong." She rolled her eyes. "But I'm sure it won't be a problem. I'm fine. All I need is some rest and some ice packs." All four men started to disagree at once. "BAH! That's enough! I'm not going to argue with it. I was going to talk to you guys about staying there until after the wedding anyway. It's only four weeks."

"Nat, are you sure you don't want to push the date back a bit? Give yourself a little bit more time?" Greg asked gently. She turned and glared at him.

"Do you know what I had to _pay _to book the place for this wedding? I practically had to sign a pact in blood. There is no way I'm pushing anything _back._"

"Okaay. Forget I said anything." Nick tried to disguise a bark of laughter with a cough.

"Um, yeah, it's no problem staying with us, Nat. You know the room is yours whenever you need it." Nick said, and put his arm around Greg. "Don't pout. Trust me that little episode is nothing compared to the pain and suffering I had to endure from my sisters when they planned their weddings."

"Do you need me to get anything for you?" Hodges asked her, pressing a light kiss on her cheek.

"Just you…" She murmured back, finding his lips with her own. Greg made a gagging noise and mimed throwing up in the trash can. "Fuck you, Sanders. I'm allowed to be sweet and cliché with my fiancée."

"Yeah, yeah, you don't need to do it in front of us though." Grissom stood up to end the playful argument.

"Okay, you guys get her checked out and home. Hodges can take tonight to stay with her. Depending on what gets called in tonight, either you," he pointed at Nick. "Or Greg can take tomorrow. Let's hope the next few nights are slow." He turned to leave.

"Aw, boss, you aren't even going to say goodbye?" Natalie called, fluttering her eyelashes. A subtle blush worked its way across his face, but Grissom stopped to awkwardly press a kiss on the top of her head. Before Nick, Greg, and Hodges' jaws had a chance to drop, he was out the door.

"Wow. Either I am hallucinating, or Grissom just showed blatant affection." Natalie laughed.

"He's a big softie. You just have to know which buttons to press."

"Yeah, I'll be staying far away from his buttons, thank you." Greg replied, throwing his coffee cup into the trash.

"And you don't have any business pushing anyone's buttons, Miss. Getting-married-in-four-weeks." Nick swatted at her playfully.

"Oh cram it." Hodges laughed and gently smoothed her hair back from her face.

"Why don't we get you checked out." Natalie sighed with pure pleasure.

"Yes _please_."

A young intern helped wheel her out to the waiting car. By the time he was on his way back indoors, his face was bright red. Even in her injured state Natalie managed to flirt shamelessly.

"How on earth do you get away with that?" Greg demanded, getting into the passenger seat. "How do you put up with it?" He said this to Hodges.

"She accepts me the way I am, so I accept her." He replied, shrugging.

"Yeah, and I let him touch my boobs."

"Oh, wow, Nat. That was a bit of an over share." Greg made more gagging sounds.

"You really just let whatever pops in your head out of your mouth, don't you?" Nick asked, navigating his way out of the parking lot.

"Pretty much. And you love it, don't you big brother?" She leaned forward and kissed him noisily on his cheek. Nick laughed.

"Of course I love it. Because you give me kisses, and you're awful purdy."

When they got back to Nick and Greg's apartment, Natalie felt like she could weep with joy.

"I know I was only there one night, but hospitals suck so bad." She slid out of the car and looked up at the door. "I need a shower and some really cozy pajamas."

"Lucky for you, we have indoor plumbing, and most of your stuff here." Nick replied and scooped her into his arms, making her squeal.

"Hey, my legs aren't broken!"

"Perhaps not, little sister, but doctor's orders were for you to take it easy." She pouted at Hodges' over his shoulder.

"Aren't you going to defend me here? I can walk up the stairs."

"I'd carry you myself if Nick weren't already." Her eyes softened.

"You're lucky I'm such a romantic fool." She muttered as Nick carried her into the apartment. "Will you put me down now?"

"Of course." Nick set her down and was rewarded with a light punch.

"It's nice to be fussed over by three tall handsome men, but don't take it too far. I'm not an invalid." Hodges gathered her into his arms and kissed her.

"Go take your shower, you'll feel better." She grinned and went into the bathroom. All three men went into the kitchen. Greg started a pot of coffee, while Nick and Hodges sat down at the table. They heard the shower start. It was the only sound for a few moments, before Nick cleared his throat.

"I have to admit," he started. "I still wasn't totally convinced you and her were real." He paused and took a sip of the coffee Greg across the table to him. "And I'm sorry that I had my doubts." He looked up at Hodges. "Because you really balance her perfectly. You're stable, sensible, and, if I may say, a more than a little anal retentive."

"You're not the first to say so." Hodges replied, taking long gulps from his own cup.

"Now wait, I'm not trying to be a jerk. The stability and sensibility are good qualities. It's something she needs. But she wouldn't marry you because she needs you. She's independent. She's pledging herself to you because she loves you, inside and out. The fact is you're smart, really smart. And when someone takes the time to listen, you're funny. It's a dry, sarcastic wit, but it's there." Hodges shifted, uncomfortable. "But most important, you love her. I can really see it now. The two of you are bound to clash at some points, but when it really comes down to what matters, you are so in love with each other."

"Is this your way of giving me your blessing?"

"We both think you're perfect for her." Greg finally piped up, joining hands with Nick. "And we hope that she'll put a little spice in your life."

"She's the spiciest thing I've ever come across, forgive the horrible pun." The woman in question sauntered into the room, a towel wrapped around her damp hair. She had paired one of Greg's concert tees with baggy flannel pants that pooled around her feet.

"Alright, stop talking about me. Someone pour me some coffee." She sat down, and winced. "And maybe some aspirin." Hodges jumped up.

"Why don't you guys try to get some more sleep before you have to go in? I can take care of her." He started to get her some coffee. Nick stretched and indulged in a yawn.

"Sounds good to me, G?" Greg nodded and took a bottle of aspirin out of the cabinet.

"That sounds great actually. My head still feels like I have a marching band practicing in it." He wrapped his arms around Natalie's shoulders and followed Nick into their bedroom. Both shed their jeans before crawling into the blankets. Nick set the alarm to wake them up with time to shower.

"I'm glad she's out of the hospital. I feel better knowing she's only a few feet away if she needs us." Greg said, pulling his tee shirt over his head. After Nick pulled his off as well, he found his favorite spot to rest his head on the Texan's chest. Nick let his fingers trace lazy circles over Greg's back.

"Mmm, I love when you do that." Greg purred. "Sometimes I wish we could just lie here forever, just like this."

"I love you, G."

"I love you too, so much." They lay quietly for a few moments.

"We balance each other too you know." Nick said after a while.

"Hmm?" Greg looked up into Nick's eyes.

"We balance each other. You keep me from taking things too seriously. You help me laugh at myself."

"And you help me with my absentmindedness, and to make sure that I take time to appreciate things."

"Some day," Nick murmured. "We'll be able to get married." His voice was thick with sleep. "And I'll pledge myself to you."

"Some day…" Greg whispered back, his eyes fluttering closed. A soft beam of sunlight illuminated the room as they fell into dreams, curled against each other.

_Sorry this chapter took so long! I must have started writing it and then rewriting it at least three times. But, I'm happy with the final result. Please leave me lots of lovely reviews to let me know how you all like it!_


	13. Chapter 13

_Hey, I'm sorry that it's taken me so darn long to update. I had two family deaths pretty close together and it's taken a while for the urge to write to return to me. I'm looking forward to writing the wedding, and have a sequel in mind, if I get feedback expressing interest in one. Thank you for your patience, the reviews you've already left, and I hope you leave me more lovely comments! –K_

_~*~_

"Stop. Hovering. Over. Me." Natalie snapped, her expression dark and murderous.

"I just want to make sure you're all right." Greg ran his hand over her hair. "It's your first day back to work and you've been a bundle of nerves all shift." She sighed and looked up from the microscope.

"I'm fine, really. It's not nerves, I'm edgy."

"You've had one cup of coffee! What's got you edgy?"

"Oh, Greg…" She leaned against him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "It took two weeks for the doctor to let me come back to work, and which leaves me two weeks from today to get everything final for my wedding. After which, both me and my future darling husband will be off for another week, leaving you all in a lurch." Greg pressed his lips to her forehead.

"And?" She looked up with a strange expression.

"It's been sixteen days since I've had sex." Greg pulled away.

"Okay, end of this conversation."

"And there's fourteen to go, Greg." She grabbed his arm. "You're supposed to be the BFF here, isn't that something I'm allowed to talk to you about?"

"It's just… Icky."

"Icky? Eat me, Greg. You'd be a little frustrated if you couldn't…"

"Please, for the love of GOD, Nat, please don't go into the details of your's and Hodges' sex life. I don't think I could recover from it."

"Prude." She turned her attention back to the sample in the microscope. Greg let out an aggravated breath.

"Nat." She lifted her gaze and cocked an eyebrow, her best annoyed look. "I'd go insane." She grinned.

"Then you get it! For the last few days it was because I was hurt, and then we decided it would be special if we waited until after the wedding." She broke off and looked at him, her eyes bright. "I've never wanted it like this, Greg. Two days ago he kissed me goodnight, and oh! If we hadn't been in the lab I don't think I could have stopped myself."

"Geez Natalie, you nymph!" She was furiously scribbling something down on a clip board. "What did you find?"

"Dirt." She turned to one of the computers to print out a report. She pulled a fresh piece of paper and thrust it toward Greg.

"Can you bring this and…" She put the slide into a bag. "This, to Hodges?" He groaned.

"Please? If I go in there after this conversation I'll blow all the hard work."

"Blow it? What, you're gonna jump him in the trace lab?"

"No, I'd drag him cavewoman style into the locker room and fuck us both into oblivion. Seriously Greg, my self control is at a breaking point."

"Fine, fine. I'm here to serve." He took the folder and bag and turned to leave, stopping at the door way. "Once Nick and I decided to hold out on each other, see who would crack first." He flashed her a smile. "We're far too alike, I gave in first." She giggled.

"We're both horny little bitches."

~*~

Nick let out a snarl as a zippy little smart car cut him off and pulled into the parking space he had been eyeing. Greg patted his leg gently.

"Chill, it's a nice day, we can walk."

"I hate those stupid tiny cars."

"Oh! There's one, Nicky!" Natalie's finger pointed past his face to a Mini Van pulling out. "Even closer than that stupid tiny car."

"I hate the mall too."

"Well, that, big brother, can not be helped. I need my men to look their best when they walk me down the aisle, don't I? And it's only one store darling."

"I have shirts!"

"We have been through this, two hours, tops; of you time and then I will never make you shop again." She linked her arms with both of them and led them to the mall entrance with a bouncy step.

"One store?" Nick said, sounding desperate. Natalie kissed his cheek.

"One store, I promise. I know just where it is, and I already have something in mind, so I shouldn't have to make you try on a million things. Then I will buy you both an ice cream in the food court."

The high end men's store was Nick's idea of personal hell. The clerks were all immaculate, from the expensive hair cuts, to their fussy shoes. Greg didn't look any more comfortable.

"I hate this place already." Natalie smirked and fluttered her eye lashes.

"Don't worry, Nicky. I will have these snooty employees falling over themselves to help us, and we'll be out of her in no time." The first snooty employee pounced as they walked in.

"May I help you?" Natalie giggled and touched his arm.

"Oh yes, I'm helping my brothers find something divine to wear to a wedding and I'm just certain that you can help me find something appropriate." Nick and Greg watched the color rise in the clerk.

"Do you have anything in mind?"

"Hmm, well, definitely something in a nice fabric, but nothing too pricey."

"We have a nice selection in a nice stain resistant fabric, silk like."

"Perfect!" She twirled a piece of hair in her fingers. "You know how guys can be so…messy."

"Color preference?" He asked her, fidgeting with his shirt collar. Greg coughed into his hand trying not to laugh. Natalie turned and looked intently at the two men.

"A nice forest green for this tall strapping fellow," she said gesturing at Nick. "And, a dark blue, not quite navy for this other gentleman." The clerk swallowed and nodded.

"I'll be right back with some selections." He walked away, turning back to look at Natalie, running into a rack of dress pants.

"You are terrible. Ten days to your wedding and you make that poor guy sweat in his 80$ sport coat."

"And why did you tell him we're your brothers?"

"Because you might as well be, and I didn't want him to think that I was involved with either one of you. Do you know nothing about the art of female enticement? Don't answer that." She said before Nick could speak. "Besides, if I keep the fact that it's my wedding until we check out, we might snag some sweet discounts."

"How do you think you're going to get any thing off?" Nick asked her.

"Oh darling, you will just have to watch and learn." She turned her mega watt smile back on for the clerk.

"I think these might be what you are looking for." He said, handing her two beautiful shirts.

"Oh, these are perfect! She threw her arms around the dazzled clerk. "Now, do you have fitting rooms?"

Natalie sighed and cooed over both men as they came out to model. "Evan, you are an absolute angel!" She exclaimed. Evan, the clerk blushed and muttered something about it being his job. "No no, you helped us find the perfect things, and I must let your manager know. Please, go get him so I can tell him how amazing you were!" He blushed even deeper and scurried off to find the store manager. Natalie plucked the shirts out of Nick and Greg's arms, and winked. When Evan returned with the manager, she rushed over to the distinguished looking man and starting to gush.

"This employee was so helpful, and he made this shopping experience extremely pleasurable. I don't think we could have found anything nice for my brother's to wear to my wedding if it hadn't been for him." The clerk's jaw dropped.

"Oh?" The manager began. "When are you getting married?"

"In ten days," Natalie replied, offering her hand with her engagement ring.

"How lovely! In honor of your nearing nuptials you must let me take off say… 40%?" Natalie gasped.

"Sir, that is so generous!"

"I insist." He said, smiling and taking the shirts from her.

~*~

"You never cease to amaze me." Nick shook his head as they sat down with the promised ice cream.

"Pfft, like you never use the fact that you're cute as a damn button to your advantage. Besides, that clerk will be just fine."

"After he takes care of business in the bathroom during his break." Greg sputtered, laughing hysterically.

"Ugh, you perv."

"Perv nothing, he wanted in your pants." Natalie sighed and held out her left hand to stare at her ring.

"There's only access for one when it comes to my pants."

"Don't get too moony, you still have ten days." Greg reminded her.

"I know, I know."

"How's that going? Getting easier?" Natalie smiled.

"Yes actually, every day that passes and the wedding gets closer… It just occurred to me that it's not sex. It's the rest of my life." She blinked and laughed. "Man, I'm getting emotional again." She took a large bite of her frozen yogurt. "I thought I'd be so nervous about getting married. But I'm not. My parent's marriage was such a joke, and just figured that it wouldn't work, but it's going to. I have never felt so happy in my entire like. And I owe it all to the two of you."

"Huh? What did we do?" Greg asked.

"If you guys hadn't opened your home for me, I never would have taken this job. And now look! I have my best friend in the entire world," she reached to take Greg's hand. "And my other best friend in the entire world," she took Nick's. "A job that never lets me get bored, and," A tear escaped. "The man that I love. The man I'm going to spend the rest of my life with."

~*~

Hours later Nick and Greg were locked in a desperate battle of tongues. They broke away to gasp for breath.

"I love you Nicky." Greg panted.

"I love you too G." They dove for each other and ripped at the clothes separating their skin.

"It must suck for Nat, not being able to do anything."

"Yeah."

"God I want you." Greg's teeth nipped at Nick's shoulders, pecs, and stomach. "I can't wait until this wedding so we can make noise."

"Mmm, yeah, your sex noises are so hot." The two men finally merged and both released contented sighs. The session continued and ended with whispered declarations, smothered oaths, and fevered promises.


	14. Chapter 14

The night before the wedding was long. A homicide case was wrapping up, giving Natalie and Greg their first free moments in three long days. Nick was reduced to stealing short cat naps between shifts.

"You and Nicky need to go home and sleep." Greg's head came up slowly from Natalie's shoulder.

"You need sleep too. You're getting married in a matter of hours."

"I know, I'm going to stay at Sarah's." She stifled a yawn. "It's bad luck for the groom to see the bride."

"Hodges isn't at the apartment."

"He isn't at the apartment NOW, Greg. He's going to be there around 12:00 or 12:30 so the three of you all can get ready."

"When is the kickoff?"

"Please don't refer to my marriage as a 'kickoff'. But the ceremony is at two." The door to the DNA lab was flung open as Nick shuffled in looking surly. The two exhausted lab techs pulled themselves off the floor, and Greg pushed himself into Nick's arms.

"Time to get horizontal." The Texan murmured against Greg's soft hair.

"I agree." Nick looked over at Natalie.

"You ready to go?"

"Only if Sarah is. I'm staying there tonight. Her and Cath are helping me get ready, so I won't see you guys until right before the ceremony." She pulled off her lab coat and slipped her hoodie over her head. "I love you both, get some sleep, and be nice to Dave tomorrow while you guys are getting dressed." She grabbed her bag out of a cabinet. She kissed the two of them on the forehead and walked out of the lab, hailing Sarah with a half hearted wave.

"I can't believe she's getting married tomorrow Nicky." Greg shrugged off his own lab coat. "When we were in school she was a…" he broke off and shifted uncomfortably.

"She was a what, Greg?" Nick asked, leaning against one of the tables.

"She was a serial dater. Too slippery to stick." Nick thought back to the emotional conversation he shared with Natalie at the dinner.

"You aren't saying that you think she's going to flake, are you?" Greg's eyes widened.

"No! I have no doubt in my mind that she's found the love of her life." He paused and laughed. "Man, I don't know if I'll ever get used to calling Hodges the love of anyone's life." He looked back up at Nick with a sleepy smile. "It's just funny to remember her sweet talking her way out of a serious relationship. She called me once after a six pack that she didn't think she had the monogamy gene in her. About a year before she called to tell me she got a job here." He reached out for Nick and melted into his lover's embrace. "I remember thinking about you, and how bad I felt for her. She said she couldn't bullshit her way out of things anymore, that it just made her too sad."

"I love you Greggo." Nick murmured, the only thing he could think to say to the younger man. "Let's go home and sleep so we can give our glowing bride away tomorrow."

~*~

Nick groaned and staggered to the door. The two men had wanted to be showered before the groom showed up, but one of them must have turned the alarm off. He glanced over at the clock and cursed.

"Right on the dot, Hodges." He muttered. He opened the door and blinked at the bright sunlight.

"Hi Nick." Nick nodded in response.

"Dave. Sorry, we're just getting up."

"Can you guys clean yourselves up quickly?" He snapped. "We need to be there by 1:30." Nick's temper flared and he started to snap back when he noticed the lab tech's face. He was pale, and his normally controlled movements were jerky with nerves. Hodges was shifting from one foot to the other, his fingers twisting together. The Texan smiled.

"It will be fine, Dave. Just come in, you have your suit?"

"Of course I have my suit. I'm getting married in two hours!" Hodges took three long strides and sat down on the couch. Greg stumbled out.

"Hey Nick, I'll take the first shower."

"Be quick about it!" Greg shot Hodges a murderous look but Nick's subtle head shake cut off any nasty retorts. Nick took the other end of the couch and offered Hodges a smile.

"Nervous?" He asked. The other man sputtered.

"Of course not, this is the happiest day of my life."

"I know it is. You and Natalie will be very happy." He absently reached his hand into a random potato chip bag. "You know, I've been to a lot of weddings. Three of my sisters are married."

"How nice."

"Yeah, but I'll tell you that every single bride and groom I've been around is a bundle of nerves. No matter how in love you are, how certain you are about marriage, everyone is scared to death until the bride is walking toward her groom."

"Well, maybe I am a little, uh, you know."

"I know. I also know that biting our heads off is just because of that. But keep in mind that I'll take your crap while we're getting ready, but it's not going to be a full time thing." Hodges sighed.

"I have ever felt this on edge before. That woman isn't only under my skin, she's in my blood." Greg walked into the room, towel around his waist.

"That should be in your vows." He laughed, not unkindly. "Nick, go shower." Nick rose and left.

"That's a pretty emotional statement Hodges." Greg tossed the comment out casually.

"Shouldn't today of all days be the day that I'm allowed to be emotional?"

"It wasn't a criticism." He offered the other lab tech a smile. "I'm gonna go get dressed, you can use the guest room if you'd like to do the same."

"Greg," He turned. "Thanks."

~*~

Natalie paced, her fingers twisting together. Her dress hung over a chair in a garment bag.

"Jesus, I'm so nervous." She pressed her hands against her stomach. "This doesn't happen, I don't feel like this."

"Well, Nat, do you think you'd feel better if you put your dress on?" Catherine asked gently. The panicky Natalie was wearing only her underwear and gold sandals.

"Oh God, this is really, totally happening."

"For Heaven's sake don't start crying, you'll get us all started!" Sarah cried.

"No, I'm not going to cry." She took a deep breath. "I am calm. I am calm. I am getting married in thirty minutes, but I am calm." Another deep breath. "Okay ladies, let's get this dress on."

"Halleluiah!" Catherine stood up to help get the dress out of the bag.

"I want to thank you both, for helping me get ready today. I never had sisters, or any siblings for that matter, but I consider you guys part of my weird twisted family, in my weird twisted life." The three women looked into the mirror.

"You are going to knock him dead."

"If I can get myself down the aisle first."

*~*

"Greg." He turned, and stared. "Nicky." Both men smiled and each took one of Natalie's shaking hands. "You both look so handsome." She pressed a kiss on both of their cheeks. Greg swallowed.

"You look so beautiful." Her eyes shone with happiness and tears.

"I am so glad that I can share this day with you." She wrapped her arms around Greg and hugged him tightly. "I love you so much."

"I know." She pulled away and blinked away the tears.

"Nick," she turned her gaze to him. "This is going to sound really wrong, but please take it in a sincere, kind way." He nodded. "For a while I thought that Greg might be the one I would walk towards on this day. I'm glad to know that he has someone that loves him just as much, but in a way that I couldn't." She cupped Greg's chin in her palm. "And you couldn't either. But I am so grateful that I can call you my best friend." Catherine walked over and handed her a simple bouquet of carnations.

"I think it's time." Natalie nodded.

"I'm ready."

A small piano set in the front of the hall began to play a sweet romantic piece, and the few guests rose as the doors opened. Sarah, wearing an effortless sun dress in a soft pearl grey stood at the front opposite Hodges, whose eyes were only for the woman walking towards him between the Texan and the lab rat. The dress fit around her bust, then fell in a clean line to her ankles. A single strand of pearls was her only other adornment and her hair fell in soft waves around her shoulders. At the end of the aisle she turned and kissed each man on the cheek, as she had done minutes before. She turned and handed her flowers to Sarah before going to stand in front of Hodges, taking his hands into her own. The bride and groom smiled radiantly.

"Honored guests," the pastor began. "We are here today to celebrate the love between this man and woman." He put his hands on each of their shoulders. "They have each prepared their own vows." He nodded at Natalie to start.

"David," she took a deep breath. "I have always heard people speak about love at first sight, but I always dismissed it as something that I could never experience." She paused and swallowed back emotion. "But the day I walked into the trace lab and shook your hand, I know that some part of me knew that you were the one. I will never love anyone like I love you. I will love you until the day I die." She was crying and smiling at the same time. The pastor nodded to Hodges.

"Natalie, you have brought light into my life. You don't let me take myself too seriously, and complete me in every way possible. You walked into my lab that day and smiled at me in a way I had never seen before. I will never love another person the way I love you." He gently wiped away a tear on her cheek. "I will love you until the day I die."

Greg's hand squeezed Nick's, and he received a squeeze in return. Catherine dabbed at her own eyes. She handed a tissue to Greg, who was crying despite every attempt not to.

"David Hodges, do you take this woman, Natalie Amanda Pierce, to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do." He slipped a silver band onto Natalie's finger.

"Natalie Amanda Pierce, do you take this man, David Hodges, to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do." She slipped an identical band onto Hodges' finger.

"Well, it is my pleasure, to pronounce you husband and wife," the pastor declared. "David, you may kiss your bride." Hodges took her face gently into his hands and pressed his lips against hers. The guests clapped and cheered. As the kiss ended, Natalie looked into her husband's eyes.

"I love you." She whispered.

"I love you."

*~*

The reception was small, and the newly weds received more applause as they walked out onto the dance floor for their first married dance. _Fly me to the moon; let me play among the stars…_

Frank Sinatra's voice filled the room. Nick sat with Greg at a table, his arm around the younger man.

"Do you want to do this some day?" Greg grinned.

"You mean some day if the government decides to let us?" Nick pulled him closer and kissed him with a quiet ferocity.

"I love you Greg Sanders. Some day I want us to pledge ourselves to each other, and I don't give a damn about the small minds in this country."

"Nick Stokes, you are the only one for me, and I would pledge myself to you without a second of hesitation." Both men smiled and shared another kiss.

_In other words, please be true. In other words, I love you…_

Natalie kissed Hodges as the song faded out. Her fingers curled in his short hair. When they broke the kiss, she giggled.

"I think you're wearing my lip gloss now." Hodges grinned and wiped the back of his hand over his mouth.

"It's minty." She giggled again.

"Good thing I hate lip stick."

"How do you like being Mrs. Natalie Hodges?"

"I love it." She kissed him again, and another song began to play. "In fact, I love it so much I may not answer to anything less than that full title." She kissed the corners of his mouth, his neck, his fingers. "How do you like me being Mrs. Natalie Hodges?"

"I think I could put up with it." He grinned. "I think I am going to wake up every morning and thank God that I'm waking up next to Mrs. Natalie Hodges." He kissed her nose. "I also think people are going to think we're crazy if I always call you that." She laughed and nipped at his bottom lip.

"Darling, we are crazy." His hand fisted unconsciously in her hair when her hips swayed against his to the music.

"Correction, you make me crazy."

"I'd hate it if I ever lost that ability."

At the end of the reception, the couple ducked into Hodges' car. Sarah and Greg had painted "JUST MARRIED" making the slightly OCD lab tech cringe. Nick slide his arms around Greg's waist while the team waved at the retreating car.

"There goes our girl, Greggo."

"Yep. Its gonna be kind of weird with out her down the hall." Nick flicked his tongue against Greg's ear.

"Yeah, but there are some perks." Greg shivered at the touch.

"There are those perks…" The car turned at the end of the drive and disappeared. "Who ever thought we'd ever be at Hodges' wedding?"

"Not me, but things change. All it took was our girl coming to stay." Greg turned into Nick's embrace and kissed his lover.

"Lets go home Nick."

**THE END **

_There you have it! I hope you find this a satisfying ending. I love weddings, and it was my first attempt at writing one in a story. _

_I also love Natalie, if I can be so conceited to love my own creation. I think I might start cooking up a sequel to this, but I really need some feedback!! _

_Please, if you read this story and enjoyed it, tell me. Let me know if you'd like to read more of Natalie, Hodges, Nick, and of course Greg's expanding relationships. I really appreciate any feedback you have._

_-K_


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